Taking A Chance
by Kris6
Summary: As Thirteen struggles with the events of the season finale, her most closely guarded secrets are revealed. Will this lead to heartbreak or happiness? Eventual Hadley/Cameron...Cadley? Complete.
1. Trying to Deal

**Taking A Chance**

**Disclaimer**: If I owned them, you would be seeing it on T.V. rather than reading it here.

**Summary**: As Thirteen struggles with the events of the season finale, her most closely guarded secrets are revealed. Will this lead to heartbreak or happiness?

**Pairing**: Eventual Thirteen (Hadley)/Cameron….Cadley?

**Spoilers**: The fourth season, including Thirteen's **_real_** full name.

**A/N**: This is my first House fic. I apologize ahead of time if they seem a little out of character as I am still getting used to writing them.

**A/N2**: Chase and Cameron are **_not_ **together…And thoughts are in italics.

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**Chapter One- Trying To Deal**

Having just drawn blood and sent it to the lab for testing, Thirteen leans back in her chair. Knowing that her day is only going to get longer and that she can't very well leave the hospital without her test results, she flips open her cell phone. After scrolling through her contacts, she hits send.

After a few moments, the other end of the line is picked up. "Hello?" A gruff male voice breathes out, obviously winded from having to rush to the phone.

"Hey, its me," Thirteen smiles softly.

"Oh no. I know that tone," he begins suspiciously. "You're going to be late aren't you?"

"I'm sorry. I know that I promised her, but something's come up at work," Thirteen sighs regretfully, deciding not to tell him about testing herself.

"She won't be happy," he replies slowly.

"I know. Could you tell her? And let her know how sorry I am?" She pleads.

There is a pause on the other end of the line as he pretends to consider it. "Okay, but this is the last time that I play the bad guy and deliver the bad news," he informs her sternly.

"Thanks Dad," Thirteen smiles into the receiver before flipping her phone shut and standing up to go talk with the rest of the team about Amber's progress…or lack thereof.

--

Aimlessly wandering the halls, Thirteen is trying to clear her mind of all that has happened in the last hour. _Amber is dead. I have Huntington's. She's dead and I'm dying._ She felt like crying. She felt like crawling into a dark hole and never coming back out. She also knew that neither of these things were really an option. _I can't go home. I can't face Alexis tonight or I will breakdown. I need to be strong…for her._

After taking a moment to regain her bearings, she notes that she is in House's hospital room. The doctor in question is still in a deep sleep…or a coma. Thirteen isn't so sure of anything anymore. Standing idly in the door ways, she pulls out her phone and dials once more. This time, the phone only rings once before being picked up.

"Hey Sweetheart," her father greets her from the other end, having read the caller I.D. before answering. "You on your way?" He asks.

"No," Thirteen bites her lower lip nervously. "I can't make it tonight," she mumbles regretfully. Her father exhales deeply. "Are you mad?" She wonders.

"You know I'm not," is his immediate reply. "But I wasn't kidding when I told you that I was done being the bearer of bad news. You're telling her this time," he says, leaving no room for argument.

Thirteen heaves out a deep sigh. "Okay, put her on."

"Here she is," he informs her before passing the phone.

"Hello?" A young, curious voice asks.

"Hey Alexis," Thirteen smiles into the receiver, already feeling guilty for blowing off the girl.

"Hey!" The enthusiastic voice replies, grinning from ear to ear as she recognizes the voice on the other end. "When are you coming to pick me up? Are you on your way?" She bombards the young doctor with her questions.

"Look, Sweetie, I know I promised you I'd-"

"You're not coming are you?" Alexis asks, clearly devastated.

"I'm sorry, Baby. You know I would be there if this wasn't important," Thirteen sadly informs her.

"I know," she reluctantly concedes before thrusting the cell phone petulantly into the older man's hand and stomping off.

"Remy?" He asks, not sure if his daughter is still on the line. "You there?"

Thirteen hesitates for a moment. "Yes…She's mad, isn't she?" She weakly questions as she takes a seat in one of the chairs by House's bed.

"She's **_furious_**," the older man corrects her. "But she'll get over it. She can never stay mad at you," he smiles softly.

"Yeah," the brunette responds, clearly distracted.

"There's something else bothering you, isn't there? The **_real_ **reason why you aren't coming tonight?"

Thirteen pauses to look at House to make sure he is really out for the count before replying. "I took the test," she whispers brokenly into the phone, leaning over in her chair to rest her elbows on her knees. She knows that he is all to aware of what test she's talking about.

Her dad says nothing for several long moments and Thirteen starts to give up hope of him ever replying. "You have Huntington's, don't you?" He asks quietly, already knowing her answer.

"Yes," Thirteen answers softly. "But, you know, I'm fine. I prepared myself for this, you know. It's not like this is a T.V. show or something where everyone all lives happily ever after or something," she informs him, amazingly calm.

"Remy…" her father trails off in a sympathetic tone.

"I'll be okay. I just need a night on my own to clear my head and I'll be by tomorrow afternoon," she says before hanging up.

With one last lingering look at House, Thirteen stands up and walks out of the room to head back to her apartment. Once she is out of the room, House allows his eyes to open, having been awake through the entire conversation.

"Interesting. Huntington's? Check. Mystery girl named Alexis? Check. Now, how can I squeeze more info out of her?" He questions himself, a devious expression taking over his face.

--

Walking into her apartment, Remy flips on the light by the door. She continues to move on autopilot as she hangs her jacket up in the closet by the door before making her way o the kitchen.

Remy opens the refrigerator before closing it again with a sigh. _I wish I had a beer or something simple like that…And I need to do some serious grocery shopping sometime this weekend._ Checking out the freezer, she pulls out a chilled bottle of vodka.

Deciding to forego the formality of a glass, she just drinks straight from the bottle as she heads to the couch in the living room. Remy winces at the burn of the first gulp before it begins to warm her from the inside out. Settling on the couch with her bottle, she wants to simply forget about the crap day she had. She's suddenly glad that she didn't pick up Alexis earlier, having promised herself a long time ago that she'd never let her see her like this…not again.

Finally, after everything that happened today, coupled with the alcohol, Remy lets herself break down and cry. Just a few small drops form in the corner of her eyes at first. That soon turns into a river of tears streaming down her face as she fights to hold back sobs, even in the privacy of her own home. Once the tears subside, she lets herself fall into a restless sleep.

--

Remy awakens with a start, immediately regretting the sudden movement of sitting up as she feels her back pocket vibrating. She reaches into the pocket and pulls out her cell phone, leaning over to rest her elbows on her knees and cradle her head in her hand.

"Hello?" She greets the caller dizzily.

"Are you okay?" Her father asks right away, noting her tone.

"Fine Dad," is her none-too-convincing response.

"Uh huh…Are you hung over?" He asks in a harsh whisper. She doesn't answer right away. "You promised," he sighs in disappointment.

"I was…This is all so…" the brunette sighs, totally at a loss. "Last night I experienced a moment of weakness. You know I'd never let myself get like that again. I could never do that to Lexi," she states confidently.

"I know you wouldn't. I'm sorry for mentioning it," her father replies, never doubting her sincerity. "I just wanted to see when you'd be here. She is getting restless," he says, smiling at the thought of the other girl.

"I said I'd be there this afternoon, probably around 2:30-ish," she informs him, standing up and stretching, her brain not bashing itself against her skull anymore.

"Well, you'd better hurry up because it's 1:30 already," he smirks.

"Oh m god! I can't believe I slept this late!" She exclaims, fully astonished, never having slept in this late on a Saturday before.

"See you soon Sweetheart," he chuckles as she flips her phone closed and rushes to hop in the shower.

--

Standing awkwardly on the porch, Remy waits for her dad to open the front door and let her in. She doesn't have to wait long before the door swings wide open revealing a man no less than 6'2" and looking very much like an older, blonde…and male, version of the woman standing before him. He pulls her into a warm hug.

"Thank god! She's been diving me crazy," the older man greets the brunette.

"Thanks Dad. I missed you too. I'm fine, thanks for asking," Remy rolls her eyes as she briefly hugs him back before wriggling out of his grip as they move into the house.

"Very funny," he grins. "So, how are you really?"

Remy puffs out a deep breath. "I'll be okay" she informs him seriously. He shoots her a dubious look. "Really. Last night was just me…dealing."

"I was worried. You haven't **_dealt_ **with anything like this since-"

"I know!" Remy cuts him off sharply, not wanting to delve too much into the past. "But I would never put Alexis through that again. She's already put up with too much from me as it is," she smirks at the older man.

He simply laughs. "Don't cut yourself short. You know she loves you," he smiles fondly.

"I know," Remy grins. She glances into the living room just inside the house before opting for the easiest, and fastest, way of locating the girl in question. "Alexis!" She shouts.

Moments later, the sound of someone stampeding down the hallway is heard. Soon, a dark-haired seven old girl rounds the corner and crashes into the brunette hugging her, her arms wrapping tightly around her legs.

"Hi Mommy," the little girl looks up to greet Remy, her head just barely reaching above the young doctor's waist.

"Hey Lexi," Remy greets the girl, a soft smile settling on her features.

--

"Did you have fun with Grandpa yesterday?" Remy asks her daughter as they are eating dinner back at the apartment.

Waiting until she finishes swallowing her food, like her mother always tells her to, Alexis nods. "Yeah. He picked me up and we went to the park and he got McDonald's for dinner," she informs her, eyes widening slightly when she realizes what she let slip.

"Oh, he **_did_**, huh?" Remy smirks, arching her eyebrow.

"He made me promise not to tell you," the little girl mumbles, breaking eye contact to look down at her plate.

Remy reaches over and places her hand atop her daughter's reassuringly. "It's okay. I'll pretend that I didn't hear it," she gives her a half-smile when the girl looks back up at her. _But he **will** hear from me about giving her junk food…again._

"Thanks Mom," Alexis grins.

"So, how was school yesterday?" She asks after a moment, wanting to catch up on the latest happenings in her daughter's class.

"Well, Ben got in trouble for saying a bad word in Ms. Greer's Art class, but it was really Brian, his brother. When I tried to tell her, she didn't want to listen and Benended up having to sit through class by himself in the corner. Brian felt bad and the three of us ended up playing on the monkey bars together during recess. Oh, and…" the young girl continues recapping her day, gesturing wildly with her hands and making animated facial expressions.

Remy just watches her daughter with a gentle smile, listening with rapt attention and providing input on the rare occasion that Alexis takes a breath to ask her something. Once the little girl stops talking and turns back to her food, Remy's thoughts begin to turn back to yesterday. _I can't be dying. Not now, not when I'm all this little girl has left of her mother._ She sighs.

"Are you okay Mommy?" The young brunette questions her with concern.

"Yeah Sweetie, I'm fine," Remy replies, sure that neither of them actually believe that. "Are you finished?" She asks, nodding toward the empty plate in front of her.

"Yes," Alexis replies. Remy stands up, taking both hers and her daughter's plates back into the kitchen. "Thank you Mommy," she says sweetly. "Can I go watch T.V.?" She asks once her mom comes in from putting the plates in the dishwasher.

"Did you do all of your homework?" Remy asks sternly.

"I did it all at Grandpa's last night," Alexis confirms.

The doctor studies her for a moment. "Okay, but only for an hour and then we have to get you ready for bed," she replies, earning a grin and a hug from the six year old. She just smiles and shakes her head at the innocence of it all.

--

Remy has just finished the nightly routine of getting Alexis to bed. They both got into their pajamas. They stood side-by-side in font of the bathroom sink, with Alexis on a step-stool of course, and brushed their teeth together. Then they went back into Alexis' bedroom and crawled into her bed so that Remy could read to her. After she finished the story and finished tucking her daughter in, Remy went to her own room and got into her own bed.

Being that it is still so early, Remy usually goes into the living room and watches CNN or the Discovery Channel or something else that most people consider boring. Tonight, she just wants to lie down.

Just as she begins to drift off into sleep, she feels something in the air shift and it's like she is suddenly being watched. Tensing slightly, she cracks open an eye and looks at the open doorway. She relaxes and sits up in bed.

"Is everything okay Lex?" She asks the little girl standing just inside the room with concern evident in her voice.

"I don't know," Alexis mumbles quietly as she continues standing there, nervously shuffling her feet.

Remy carefully studies at her daughter before folding down the comforter beside her and patting the bed. "Come on," she prompts, indicating for her to climb in next to her.

Alexis follows her mother's instructions…to a point. Once she reaches the indicated side of the bed, she sets a well-worn stuffed dog down in her place. "You need him more than I do," the little girl whispers, not looking her mom in the eyes.

"Captain Barker?" Remy asks, clearly confused, as she fondles the floppy ear of the shaggy stuffed animal. "He's your favorite," she says distractedly.

"Grandpa once told me that you got him for me when my mom died. He always makes me feel better when I'm sad," Alexis explains, still not looking up from her feet. "You're sad now. I want you to take him so he can make you feel better," she adds, trying not to cry.

Remy, for her part, is holding back tears of her own at the selfless gesture of her daughter, wondering how this seven year old can read her better than anybody else she knows. She reaches over and lifts the little girl's chin up so that they are looking into each other's eyes. "I think having you up here would make me feel better too," she whispers.

Alexis nods, smiling shyly as she climbs into bed with her mother. She scoots in under the covers, Remy lifting an arm up so that she can snuggle in close. The brunette doctor wraps her arms protectively around her daughter, wondering how she got so lucky. With that, they both drift off into a sound sleep.

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So, this is a little different than what I'm used to writing. This fic actually came to me out of nowhere…especially considering that I don't particularly **_like_** kids in the first place.

This first chapter is more or less meant to show how close Hadley and her daughter are…the next two chapters are going to show the main part of the plot getting under way. **_Also_**, I deliberately kept it vague in regards to Hadley and Alexis' background, so if it sounds strange about, for example, Alexis' "mom dying", I did that on purpose and will explain later in the story.

Like I said, I don't know where I got the idea for this fic and I, surprisingly, actually like how it's turning out so far. However, since I've never written anything quite like this, I am kind of…unsure about it, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Even if you hate it and think that I should remove it…which I may very well do if enough people ask. Then again, telling me you like it would be good too.


	2. The Ulterior Motive

So, wow, I didn't expect the reaction to this story that I got and I'm glad you guys seem to enjoy it.

**A/N**: I know it kind of seemed like I was trying to imply that Thirteen has a bit of a drinking problem and I even toyed with the idea at first. However, since I am already going to give her a hard enough time in this story (because I'm evil), I decided against it…but it _**will **_come up again later on.

**A/N2**: Also, originally, most of the stuff that actually takes place in chapter three was supposed to go in here. This chapter kind of got away from me though and I am actually kind of happy with it…even though I don't think I did a particularly good job of characterizing Cameron. I'll let you guys decide.

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**Chapter Two- The Ulterior Motive**

Taking a seat in the Diagnostics Office, Thirteen is not surprised to find that she is the first one there…as usual. She's always early due to the fact that she has to drop Alexis off at school on her way to the hospital.

With a yawn, Thirteen leans back into her seat, fighting to keep her eyes open. Having spent the better part of Sunday keeping a close watch on her daughter, who she fears may be getting sick, she finds herself already exhausted at 8:00 in the morning.

"Wake up sleepyhead," Kutner nudges the dozing brunette, jolting her awake. "Busy weekend?" He smirks, mistaking her wariness for a hang over, his attention shifting momentarily as Foreman and Taub take their own seats.

Thirteen shrugs noncommittally. "Something like that," is her evasive response.

"Never took you to be the partying type," Kutner muses, avoiding boredom by continuing to speak.

"I spend my nights off going to raves, popping ecstasy, and having casual sex with hot men and women…sometimes even at the same time," Thirteen counters, her tone serious. Foreman quirks an eyebrow in amusement and Taub releases an awkward smile at her tone.

"I knew it! Chase owes me 50 bucks," House jokes triumphantly as he enters the room, having overheard them from the doorway.

"How could you possibly have guessed that? I could've never even imagined just by looking at her. She's just so…" Kutner trails off upon seeing the expression on the other woman's face, daring him to finish his sentence. He closes his mouth and sinks into his seat and House watches on amused.

"How are you this morning Huntington's?" House asks Thirteen with a devious smirk.

Her jaw tenses at the question, but she gives no other sign that it got to her. "Shouldn't you be in a coma upstairs?" She instead asks.

"I don't imagine your girlfriend approves of your hard partying ways," House ignores the question and tries to bait Thirteen.

She's clearly perplexed by the question. "Assuming that I had a girlfriend and that my relationships were any of your business to begin with, she would probably be the only other person in the room to get that I was joking about that," she explains, too frustrated by both men to continue humoring them.

"You were?" Kutner asks, obviously disappointed.

"I know," House shrugs. "So, no girlfriend, huh?" He asks, leaning closer to her on his cane.

Thirteen shakes her head. "Not that it's any of your business, but no," she says. _Why does he keep asking me that?_

House stares at her for a long moment. _She's good. I can't even tell if she's lying or not._ "Then who's Alexis?" He questions smugly, deciding to go straight to the point and see what she says.

A brief flash of hate flits across her face before her impassive façade reappears. "None of your concern," she replies coldly.

Foreman senses that the brunette wants this kept a secret, not out of the great big puzzle that is 'Thirteen', but out of self-preservation…and something else that he can't quite put his finger on. He decides to intervene on her behalf when it becomes apparent that House is going to continue harassing her.

"Do we have a patient or what?" He asks, exasperated, quirking his lips slightly upward when Thirteen gives him a grateful smile.

Noting the exchange House rolls his eyes and sighs dramatically. "You're no fun," he announces before dropping a file on the table and wandering off.

--

"Cameron!" House shouts from across the ER.

The blonde doctor glances up sharply from her charts at the sound of her name. "Whatever it is, the answer is 'no'," she informs him once he has managed to hobble close enough to her.

"You don't even know what it is," House responds, bordering on whining.

"I don't care because, knowing you, I won't like it," Cameron shoots back acerbically.

"You might," he wags his eyebrows suggestively.

Cameron falters for a moment. "The answer is no," she states, her tone firm.

"Even if it has something to do with Thirteen?" House ventures slyly.

This question gives Cameron pause as she slowly looks back up at him with narrowed eyes. "I have no idea what makes you think that _**that **_would persuade me," she finally answers, trying to sound more sure than she is.

"Oh?" House quirks a skeptical eyebrow. "What about the fact that you think she's hot? _**That **_might give me a bit of an idea," he grins roguishly.

"I think you're getting the two of us confused. Oddly enough," she counters nervously, pretending to go back to her chart.

"Did I _**imagine **_you checking out Thirteen when she was in the ER last week?" He questions rhetorically.

Cameron awkwardly clears her throat. "I don't know what you're talking about," she evades, blushing profusely.

"You know, when you were stitching up my head and she walks up looking all hot. I called her a lesbian and you nearly went through my skull with that needle? Any of this ringing a bell?" He smirks smugly.

"Okay, so I was checking her out!" Cameron blurts out of frustration, gaining the attention of everyone around them. "What do you want?" She growls, embarrassed.

"I just want to see if you can have any better luck milking her for information than me," House responds.

"Why?" Cameron asks simply, knowing that there is something more specific that he is interested in knowing.

"Is it so wrong of me to simply be curious about my employees?" He wonders, feigning hurt.

"Anyone else: no. You: definitely," the blonde replies honestly.

"Are you accusing me of having an _**ulterior motive**_?" House asks, shocked.

"Yes. There must be something in particular you want to know about her or else you wouldn't have come to me," she points out astutely.

"Fine. I think she has a girlfriend named Alexis," House relents, knowing the only way to get the blonde to help is if he throws her a bone.

"Where would you come up with that conclusion?" She asks giving him an odd expression.

"I overheard her talking to her on her cell phone Friday night…Right before she told someone else that she has Huntington's," he adds the last part surreptitiously.

"She does?" Is Cameron's shocked reaction. She seems to second guess her former boss's plan. "Don't you think that whatever secrets she has, she has them for a reason?"

House scoffs at this. "Like what?" He snorts.

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe because you've been giving her a hard time about _**not**_ getting tested for Huntington's since you found out about her mother…Plus the whole thing about her being bisexual," Cameron shoots back, mumbling the last part.

"That's the part that has _**you**_ most interested, huh?" House grins lasciviously.

"Okay, if it'll get you to leave me alone about that, I'll be your little spy," at this, House grins. "_**However**_…If this ends up being something that I think could even remotely hurt her if you used it against her, I am not going to tell you," she informs him seriously.

"Like I would ever do that," House rolls his eyes.

"You _**have**_ and you _**will**_," Cameron responds before turning back to her work, effectively ending the conversation.

--

"So, what have we got?" House inquires immediately as he limps into the Diagnostics Office.

"Nothing much considering the fact that the file you gave us only had a couple of your porno magazines in it," Foreman grumbles.

House looks over to see Kutner blatantly leafing through one of the magazines and Taub trying to casually look over his shoulder. "Where's Thirteen?" He inquires, noticing her absence. "She take the other magazine and disappear into the women's restroom?" He wags his eyebrows suggestively.

"I went to get coffee," Thirteen announces, annoyed, from the doorway.

"Oh," House replies, clearly disappointed. They are all silent for several long moments.

"So, no new patient?" Taub asks awkwardly.

"Nope," House answers back. He twirls his cane, apparently thinking something over. "Lesbian?" He calls, pointing at the brunette doctor with his cane.

Thirteen arches an eyebrow in irritation. "I'm _**not**_ a-"

"It doesn't matter," House cuts her off immediately. "Go bother Cameron in the ER. See if she has any interesting patients. If not then just…stay there so that Cuddy doesn't pitch another fit about us not helping out in the ER," he instructs, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Thirteen manages a glare at the older man. "Fine," she replies, not seeing how there could be any kid of ulterior motive in the statement, before taking her coffee and heading down to the ER.

"What about us?" Kutner pipes in after the brunette leaves.

"What about you?" The department head snorts.

"Do we just get to sit around reading porn while Thirteen is working in the ER?" He asks, more than a little hope in his voice.

"No, go work the clinic. That way _**I **_can rest easy knowing that Cuddy isn't going to up here foaming at the mouth…at least for the rest of the day," House grins.

--

Back in the ER, Cameron is in her office trying to catch up on her paperwork in an effort to push her earlier conversation with House out of her mind. She is so lost in thought, that she takes no notice of the figure in her doorway as she stares off into space.

"Dr. Cameron?" Thirteen questions, raising her voice slightly, attempting to gain the other woman's attention.

Startled, Cameron jumps slightly in her seat and turns her attention to the brunette doctor, her face turning red. "Thirteen, you scared me," she admits, embarrassed at being caught off guard…especially by the object of her musings.

"Sorry," the younger doctor smirks. "I knocked…and tried calling your name a couple of times," she defends herself. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Fine. Just, you know…Mondays," Cameron sighs dramatically, earning her a sympathetic nod from the other doctor. "So, what brings you down here?"

Thirteen takes a break from checking out the blonde to offer an apologetic smile. "House sent me," she replies.

"House, of course," Cameron grumbles, knowing she should have expected him to do so.

In response, Thirteen scrunches her brows in consternation as she tries to decipher the other woman's tone. "Yeah. He wanted me to ask if you had any unusual patients," she explains.

Cameron ponders this question for several moments, wracking her brain for anything that stands out. She comes up empty. "I'm afraid not. Just your standard issue sick and injured," she answers regretfully.

There is a brief pause. "Did you need any help in the ER?" Thirteen asks, knowing that they always need help in the ER.

"Not in the mood to play strip poker in your down time?" Cameron jokes, knowing that House makes his own entertainment when they're not busy.

"Actually, when I left, they were looking at House's porn," Thirteen laughs at the stunned look on the blonde's face. "So, my options are leafing through porn, clinic duty and working in the ER. I think I'd rather work in the ER," she finishes seriously.

"Okay then," Cameron replies with a bright smile. "I could always use the help," she nods.

"Great," Thirteen says. There is an awkward pause. "So I'll see you around then," she adds before turning and walking off to the ER.

--

Cameron's shift is almost over and she wants to just kick herself for not having been able to talk to Thirteen during the whole eight hours the brunette has been in her department. She is not entirely to blame as there had been a ten car pile-up on the freeway during rush hour. The ER has been swamped.

So, Cameron finds herself seeking out the brunette doctor to give it another try before the day is out. Approaching the Nurse's Station, she prepares to ask about the other doctor's whereabouts before she catches a glimpse of her in one of the exam rooms.

Standing outside of the room, she finds herself eavesdropping.

"You don't need to be embarrassed Brian," Thirteen comforts a small curly-haired nine year old boy sitting on the table as she stitches up a nasty cut on his left arm.

"But Dr. Hadley, I only rode my bike half-way down the driveway. I fell the other half," Brian whines, his attention focused solely on the pretty doctor stitching his arm and not on the pain.

"Well, you just started riding it on two wheels last month," the boy's mother points out. "I told you not to try riding it unless your father, Dr. Hadley or I was with you," she continues.

"None of the other boys in the neighborhood had to get stitches when _**they**_ started riding," he complains some more, ignoring his mother.

"Just because they didn't admit it, doesn't mean it didn't happen," Hadley wisely states. He doesn't look convinced. "Did I ever tell you about when _**I**_ first started riding?" She asks.

"No," Brian mumbles.

"Well, when I was eight I thought I had it mastered after only riding my bike for three days," Hadley begins as she completes his stitches and begins to finish up. She makes sure she has his undivided attention before continuing. "So, I decided that I wanted to take my bike down this steep hill near my house. Halfway down the hill, I realized hat I was going _**really**_ fast. I tried to stop, but I hadn't learned how to use the brakes yet…" she trails off, waiting to see his reaction.

"So what happened?" Brian asks, fully engrossed in the story. Cameron and Brian's mom try and hold in their laughter, having a feeling that the story is going to end with her in a hospital.

"I panicked of course. I had no idea how to slow down or stop," Hadley continues animatedly as she takes a seat on the table next to him. "So, here I am, freaking out and my bike begins to swerve around wildly. I go off to the right, going full speed ahead, and as soon as I look up from my handle bars, I run right into the back of a parked car," she finishes her story with a small smile.

Brian's mom and Cameron burst into laughter at this. Thirteen looks up into the doorway and spots the blonde doctor. She offers her a small smile.

"Did you really?" Brian asks awestruck.

"I broke my collarbone, three ribs, and my left arm," Hadley confirms. "So, you aren't doing so bad," she reassures the boy with a smile.

"But, you do all of those mar…marth…" he attempts to get the word out.

"Marathons?" Remy guesses.

"Yeah, those. How long did it take you to be able to get back on your bike? Why would you even want to after that? Weren't you scared?" Brian wonders.

"As soon as I was healed, I got right back on. I was scared at first, but nothing worth doing is easy," Hadley sagely informs the boy as she hops off the table and hands him a lollipop from a jar on the counter.

"Aren't you going to stitch my arm?" He asks, confused.

"Already did," she smiles as she helps him down.

Brian looks down and sees that she did, in fact, patch him up while she was talking. "That didn't even hurt. Thanks Dr. Hadley!" He beams before throwing himself on her for a hug, nearly knocking her over.

Hadley gives the boy a warm smile and ruffles his hair. "No problem, but next time, listen to your mom and don't go off alone," she warns him sternly.

"Okay," he mumbles as he lets go.

Thirteen looks over at his mom with a small smile before turning back to the curly-haired boy. "You know, if it's okay with your parents, you, Ben and I can go down to the park and ride our bikes this weekend," she offers.

Brian grins before turning around. "Can we Mom?" He pleads.

"It's fine with me as long as Dr. Hadley doesn't have a problem with it," she laughs at her son's eagerness.

"Can Alexis come too?" Brian asks, his enthusiasm only increasing. Cameron's attention perks up at the name.

"I'm sure she'd like that," Hadley nods. "Now, you behave and listen to your mother," she smiles.

"I will," Brian agrees.

"Thank you Remy," the boy's mother says before giving the brunette a warm hug.

"You know it's no problem Ann," she modestly brushes it off.

The slightly older woman shakes her head in amusement. "We'll probably see you when you get home later," Ann simply replies before she and her son leave. Thirteen just watches them go with a fond smile before turning her attention to the blonde doctor standing in the hallway.

"I'd have never guessed you'd be so good with kids," Cameron states in amazement as she enters the room.

Hadley just shrugs. "You'd be surprised," she replies enigmatically.

"I bet," Cameron says, her tone inadvertently flirtatious. She pauses a moment as she notices this.

"Right," Hadley draws out, arching a curious eyebrow at the other woman's tone.

"So, you seem to know each other pretty well. Friends of yours?" Cameron wonders, trying to change the subject and dig up information on the other doctor.

"Neighbors. They live in the apartment next to mine," Thirteen answers, omitting the fact that the boys are in the same class as her daughter…as well as Alexis' two best friends.

"He seems to like you," Cameron points out softly.

"Yeah. Brian and Ben are good kids," Thirteen smiles distantly. "So were you looking for me or were you just passing by and decided to eavesdrop?" She asks, getting right to the point.

Cameron is startled at the other woman's bluntness for a moment. "I was looking for you, but I didn't want to interrupt," she answers.

"Good or bad?" Hadley asks, wondering if she should be concerned.

"Good…I think," is Cameron's response, Thirteen looks unsure about that answer. "I was just wondering if you'd maybe want to go get a drink with me or something when you get off."

"Are you asking me out?" Thirteen questions incredulously.

Cameron blushes at how it must've sounded. Then, she decides that going out on the pretense of a date would be a good opportunity to get info from the mysterious brunette. "Kind of…I guess. I mean, unless you're seeing someone, then that would be a 'no' because…awkward," she attempts to explain before murmuring the last word, mostly to herself.

"No, I'm not seeing anyone," Hadley smiles at the other woman stumbling over her words. She seems to genuinely consider the blonde's proposal before glancing down at her watch. "I'd love to…but I can't," she regretfully informs her.

"Oh, I see," Cameron looks down at the rejection.

"It's not you…I just have to…There's this…I made a promise and I can't be late," Thirteen apologizes, it being her turn to stutter now as she remembers that she promised she would be there for her daughter, who she feared was getting a cold.

"So, maybe later this week?" Cameron asks hopefully.

Hadley takes pause. As much as she likes the blonde doctor, she has too many things to consider. She has her daughter, who may or may not like Cameron, as well as Cameron, who may or may not like kids. Also, she has to factor in the fact that she has Huntington's. She knows that, even though she is still young and Cameron is only asking to go out to maybe get a feel for each other, she has too much at stake to go back to one night stands and meaningless flings. She owes her daughter more stability than that, her insane work schedule is already enough of a strain on the seven year old girl.

"I don't know," Thirteen finally responds. "I just…Don't know if I can. I'll have to get back to you," she hesitantly replies.

"Okay, but you'll let me know, right?" Cameron asks, disappointed, but hopeful.

"Right," Thirteen agrees with a small smile, hoping it will be that easy.

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The exam room scene ended up making this chapter as long as it is. I added most of it at the last minute and it's almost necessary. It gives Cameron a bit of a glimpse of the real Thirteen…good with kids, close with her neighbors, etc. It also sets up some familiarity between the two of them which will be necessary in the next chapter.

Also, if you notice Brian and Ben, the two boys mentioned in this chapter, are the same two that Alexis mentioned in the last one.

I know, despite what I said before the chapter, I kind of alluded to her drinking in the chapter, but I promise that this isn't going to become that _**soapy**_ and clichéd...But it isn't currently a problem, but still it will come up again in a future conversation.

In the next chapter, I really run Thirteen ragged…you'll just have to see. And, as always, review, even if you hate it. I can take the criticism.


	3. Speechless

I'm glad to see that this story is keeping people interested and I hope you like this chapter as well.

**A/N**: So, yeah...poor Thirteen is going to be a busy girl here. I almost feel bad for her, but I have no one to blame but myself ;)

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**Chapter Three- Speechless**

After waiting for several moments on the front porch to her father's house, Remy decides to just open the front door and enter without waiting for him to answer.

"Hello? Anyone home?" The brunette calls as she makes her way through the living room.

"Hey," her father greets as he pops his head into the living room from the hallway. "I was just getting Alex's stuff together. She's laying down in the spare room," he answers her unasked question as to the little girl's whereabouts.

"How's she feeling?" Remy asks, making her way to the aforementioned bedroom.

The older man pauses for a moment, not wanting to worry the overprotective mother. "She has a bit of a cough and the sniffles. She was complaining of a headache earlier, that's why she's laying down right now," he explains as his daughter enters the room.

Hadley just nods vaguely before going over to her daughter. "Hey Sweetie. How are you feeling?" She asks softly as she tenderly brushes the sweat-dampened hair off of the small girl's forehead.

"Tired," the little girl groans before breaking into a coughing fit.

"You're burning up Alex," Remy murmurs as she rests her hand against her daughter's forehead.

"Can we go home Mommy?" Alexis pleads, her voice low and scratchy from the coughing.

"Of course Baby. I just need to make a quick call," Hadley answers as she pulls out her cell phone.

"Who are you calling?" Her confused father questions as he sees her dialing.

"The hospital," the young doctor replies. Her dad appears even more perplexed than before. "She can't go to school like this, so I am calling out of work so that I can stay with her," she asserts, angrily punching in the numbers on the small number pad.

"Don't," her father says as he takes the phone out of his daughter's hands and closes it. Remy tries to take it back, but he keeps it just out of her reach. "I'll take care of her tomorrow. You go to work," he sternly orders.

"But Dad, she-"

"I know, but she'll be in good hands. I promise," he gives her an understanding smile.

"I just feel like I am imposing on you. I feel like I'm neglecting her every time I leave her here," Remy sighs in defeat.

"Hey, you are not imposing. I work from home now, remember? My next deadline isn't for months, so, I have all the time in the world to spoil my only grandchild," her dad begins with a grin before addressing the other part of her statement. "And everyone knows how much you love Alex…including Alex. Don't ever think you are neglecting her because she's proud that her mom is a doctor that saves people's lives every day…So don't start," he lectures, making sure that he gets his point across and erases the crushed look on his daughter's face.

"Thanks Dad," Remy replies after taking a moment to digest his words. "So, I guess I'll see you when I drop her off in the morning," she sighs, a gentle smile tugging at her lips.

"You got it," he grins triumphantly at having won their non-argument.

--

Once Remy pulls up to her apartment building, she gets out and reaches into the backseat to grab Alexis' small backpack and her own messenger bag. She gets out of the car and makes sure that her daughter's backpack is situated on her left shoulder and her own bag is situated on her right. Then, she closes her door before making her way around to the passenger's side, opening the door, and unbuckling her daughter from her seat.

Remy then leans down and carefully lifts Alexis into her arms, trying her best not to wake the sick seven ear old. Then, she begins the task of making it up three flights of stairs because the elevator is out of order. All of his occurs without incident…until she gets to the door and has to try and fish out her keys.

"Need some help?" Ann asks, popping her head out of the apartment next door.

"That would be great," Remy sighs gratefully as she passes her daughter to her neighbor. She quickly finds her keys, unlocks the door and drops both bags just inside before taking her daughter back.

"It's the least I can do after today," Ann responds after Hadley wraps her arms back around Alexis.

"How's Brian's arm?" Hadley finds herself asking after the boy from the ER.

"He's better. Excited about riding his bike with you two and his brother this weekend," the older woman chuckles, shaking her head. "Is she okay?" She asks, indicating Alexis.

"She's got a little bit of a cold. Dad is going to keep a watch on her tomorrow," Hadley sighs, stroking the little girl's dark hair.

"Well, I hope she feels better. I'll see you tomorrow?" Ann asks, knowing that, with the doctor's odd hours, she never really knows when she'll see the other woman next.

"Maybe," Hadley smiles before she and Alexis disappear into the apartment.

Inside, Remy walks her daughter into the girl's room and sets her softly on the bed before she proceeds to pull out a pair of pajamas and take off her shoes.

"Mommy?" The little girl asks groggily.

"Yes Sweetheart," Remy answers a moment later in a tender voice as she looks up to give her daughter her undivided attention.

"Can I sleep with you again tonight?" Alexis wonders, her tone vulnerable. She breaks into another series of coughs.

"Of course you can Lexi," Remy replies softly as she finishes getting her daughter changed. "I'll be right back, okay?" She asks, earning a small nod in response.

Hadley then goes back to her own room to turn down the covers of her bed. She smiles slightly at the sight of her daughter's 'Captain Barker' still propped up against the pillows. After she finishes, she heads back to the other bedroom.

"Let's get you to bed," Remy smiles as she lifts up the seven year old, allowing Alex to wrap her legs around her mom's midsection, drape her arms over her shoulders and nuzzle her neck.

Back in her own bedroom, Remy leans over the bed to set Alex down, having to reach up to remove the girl's arms from around her neck. She gets her daughter straightened out before placing the stuffed dog in her arms and pulling the blankets up to just under the little girl's chin.

"I'm going to go get you water and some aspirin. That'll help with your fever, okay Sweetie?" Remy asks in a warm and gentle tone- what her father jokingly refers to as her 'Mommy-voice'. Alex just nods once more.

Several moments later, Remy returns with a cloth soaked with cool water, some Kleenex, a glass of water and baby aspirin. She kneels by the bed and has Alexis sit up to take the small pill before allowing her to lay back so she can place the damp cloth on the tiny brunette's forehead to help with the fever.

"Did you need anything else? Soup maybe?" Hadley asks after keeping an eye on her daughter for a few minutes.

"Okay," Alex mumbles. Hadley stands back up and goes off to the kitchen to make her daughter some soup and continue keeping a close watch on her through the night.

Finally, around 1:00am, she is satisfied that Alexis is comfortable and sound asleep. She then allows herself to curl up next to her and go to sleep as well.

--

It's 7:00am and Remy is standing outside of her father's house with the small backpack slung over her left shoulder and Alexis in her arms once again. _Thank god she's still light enough for me to hold. I wonder how much longer **that **will last._ Her musings are cut short as her father opens up the door to allow them in.

"Okay, so, I brought some of her coloring books and some crayons in case she wakes up and is feeling better. Also, her iPod is in the front pocket of her backpack…" Hadley begins to inform him as soon as the door is opened as she makes her way to the living room to lay down the little girl in front of the television on the couch, already covered with a sheet. She drapes the blanket on the back of the couch over her daughter. "She also has-"

By now, her father has already made his way over to the pair and he sets his large hands on his daughter's shoulders. "I can handle it. I've done this before. Remember?" He asks, a tiny spark of amusement in his voice.

"I know Dad, but she-"

"Don't worry Pumpkin, she's in good hands," he assures the tense brunette.

"Okay," Hadley nods before casting a distressed glance towards her sick, pale daughter sleeping on the couch.

"Did you get _**any **_sleep last night?" The older man asks his frazzled daughter, narrowing his eyes at how exhausted she looks.

"You have my cell and pager numbers in case anything happens, right?" She questions, ignoring him completely.

"Of course I do," he rolls his eyes good-naturedly. "If something happens, you'll be the first to know," he reassures her as he sees the discontented expression making its way across her face.

"I want you to call if _**anything **_happens. Her fever hasn't gone down at all and I think it might be getting worse and-"

"Go to work Sweetheart," he cuts off her ramblings as he shoos her out the door. "Save lives and take your mind off of Alex. She'll be fine and, when you come pick her up, I'm sure she'll be doing a lot better," he says from the doorway.

"Okay," Remy sighs as she reluctantly follows her father's advice and heads to her car.

--

Thirteen finds herself even earlier than usual as she strolls into the Diagnostics Office just after 7:30 am. Since she had anticipated taking longer at her dad's house, she now has a lot more time to wait before everyone starts arriving.

So, as she sits watching the clock, Hadley tries to resist the urge to call her father to make sure everything is okay. To keep her mind off of it, she peels her eyes away from her watch and taps her pencil incessantly on the tabletop. Glancing up at the clock, she sees that only three minutes have gone by.

Hadley starts chewing on the middle of the pencil as her thoughts begin to wander. She shakes off any thoughts of her daughter, knowing that it won't make it any easier being away. Instead, she finds herself thinking about her encounter with Cameron yesterday in the exam room.

_I can't believe she was flirting with me. I didn't even think she swung that way. My gaydar must need some serious tweaking. _Her mind drifts from these simple thoughts onto more serious ones. _Could I actually see myself getting involved with her? Is that something that __**she**__ would want? She doesn't seem like the one night stand type. I wonder if she even likes kids. She didn't seem too put off by Brian yesterday. Would she be put off by someone with a kid? Would she and Alexis even like each other? Alex hasn't like anyone I've ever dated before. How-_

"Any interesting lesbian fantasies we should know about?" House interrupts her thoughts, causing Thirteen to bite down hard, snapping the pencil in her mouth in half.

"Uh…" Hadley draws out, clearly disoriented as she finds that, having been so deep in thought, she didn't even notice that everyone else has already arrived. "What?" She asks, not even having heard…or understood the question.

House arches an amused eyebrow as she pulls a chunk of the abused wooden pencil out of her mouth. "You were going to tell us about your lesbian sex fantasies," he prompts, a smirk on his face.

"I was?" Hadley questions, still trying to compose herself and catch up with the conversation.

His question finally dawns on her and she scrunches up her brow in confusion. The men, with the exception of Foreman, lean slightly closer to her in their seats, awaiting her response. She scowls menacingly at them. Taub and Kutner shrink back in their seats.

"Do we have any patients or what?" Thirteen growls.

"No," House shrugs, not at all intimidated by the beautiful doctor. "I have something better," he grins as he holds up a box and shakes it happily. "_Monopoly: The Millennium Edition_," he explains, setting it down on the table and opening it up. "I call the Dog!"

"The Car," Thirteen rolls her eyes, secretly happy for the distraction.

"So, Lesbian…How was the ER yesterday?" House questions, wondering how good a job Cameron is doing pumping her for information.

"I'm _**not**_ a-"

"That's not what I asked," he interrupts smugly.

"Can I be the Cell Phone?" Kutner tentatively asks, unnecessarily raising his hand.

--

Three hours later finds all five doctors still in the Diagnostics Office playing _Monopoly_. However, it's not entirely smooth sailing.

"You did _**not**_ move from Baltic Boulevard. You started off on Mediterranean and you're _**supposed**_ to have landed on States Avenue, which is mine," Kutner whines.

"No, I'm supposed to be on Pennsylvania Railroad, which is where I am and what I'm going to buy," House argues back smugly.

"You don't have enough money," Hadley argues dully.

"Yes I do. See, I have…Oh," House's grin falters slightly. "Can I borrow 150 bucks?" He asks Thirteen, nudging her slightly.

"Yeah, so that he can pay me for landing on States Avenue," Kutner butts in.

"I didn't land on your stupid property. Did I?" House roll his eyes as he looks at the other doctors around the table.

"Kutner, let it go," Taub says, trying to move on with the game. House and Kutner have been deadlocked on the argument for the last twenty minutes. "It doesn't even matter," he adds.

"Yes it does. I am about to turn down the side of the board right before 'Go' and I only have 57 dollars," Kutner complains.

"So what?" Foreman asks, finally entering the conversation.

"So what? So what?!" The Indian doctor screeches. "Thirteen owns everything on that side. She even has hotels on Park Place and the Boardwalk. _**Hotels**_!" He cries out, clearly distraught. "You have more money than the bank. You're cheating," he petulantly accuses the brunette.

Thirteen just quirks a brow. "You're kidding, right?" She asks, amused.

Kutner just scowls. "Look, let's just continue on," Taub interrupts the inevitable outburst from House or Kutner.

Before they can agree, a single pager goes off. They all scramble to check their respective pagers, desperate for anything better to do…with the exception of House.

"It's mine," Thirteen announces as she gets up to call down to the ER to find out what the problem is.

"Figures," Kutner grumbles irritably.

"_**Someone **_took his Bitter Cry-Baby Pills this morning," House sing-songs with a smirk.

"I have to go to the ER," Hadley informs them distractedly as she reenters the room.

"But what about the game?" Taub finds himself asking.

"Kutner and House can split everything," she replies carelessly as she leaves the room right before all hell breaks loose with the two men fighting over the properties and the money.

--

An older man is frantically pacing back and forth in front of the Nurse's Station down by the ER.

"You paged her, right? She's coming?" He asks the woman behind the desk.

"Yes sir. I just paged Dr. Hadley. You need to calm down," she answers coolly, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at another hysterical parent.

"Calm down?!" He shouts incredulously, his face turning red. However, before he has a chance to yell at the nurse, someone places a warm hand on his shoulder.

"Are you here with Alexis Harrison?" Cameron asks the older man as he urns to face her.

"Yes. She's going to be okay, right?" He questions her, more than a little worried.

"I'm Dr. Cameron," she introduces herself. "We're working on getting her fever down right now. Your daughter is going to be okay," she explains with a comforting smile.

"Richard…and she's not my daughter, she's my granddaughter. My daughter is going to kill me for not being able to take care of her," he laments after introducing himself.

"I don't think that she could be upset with you for bringing her to the hospital when you got worried," Cameron reasons with him as they move to take a seat nearby.

"You must not know my daughter," Richard smirks slightly at the blonde.

"I work in the ER. I've seen plenty of panicked parents," she points out with a smile.

Before he gets a chance to respond, he looks up to see Dr. Hadley approach the Nurse's Station and then disappear into one of the rooms. As he watches, Cameron shifts her attention up as well and glances over to where he is looking. Wordlessly, she goes over to the room, followed by the other man.

Cameron pokes her head into the room and sees Thirteen checking the young patient's chart and looking up at the stats.

"It's just a mild case of the flu," Cameron explains, starling the brunette.

"Yeah, I know," Thirteen replies, her tone and facial expression inscrutable.

"Then why are you here if House didn't send you?" The blonde doctor asks, confused.

"I had her paged," Richard explains from behind Cameron.

As Hadley approaches the two by the door, Cameron can see worry evident in her eyes. "Oh?" Is all she can manage through her uncertainty. "You want her as your doctor?" She wonders as she redirects her attention to Robert. _Maybe he's another neighbor or something…like that woman and her son yesterday._

Thirteen looks right into Cameron's eyes. "I'm not here as her doctor," she begins slowly before taking a deep breath and debating on whether or not to tell the blonde. "I'm here as her-"

"Mommy?" The little girl in the bed questions as she sees the familiar figure in the doorway. Thirteen shoots her head in the direction of the bed.

"Yeah Lexi, I'm here," Hadley confirms before returning her gaze to Cameron, noting the shocked expression on the blonde doctor's face.

"Oh," Cameron breathes out as she hesitantly follows Thirteen over to the bed. She glances down at the little girl's chart and sees the name. 'Alexis Hadley Harrison'. _Alexis? This little girl is __**the**__ Alexis!_ She realizes with a start.

House, who ended up abandoning the game in lieu of following Thirteen, just stands outside of the room. For the first time ever, he is speechless.

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I really enjoyed writing this chapter. The _Monopoly_ scene was my favorite…even though I had to actually research because I couldn't remember the pieces…or the streets.

I said that I was going to run her a bit ragged this chapter and, unfortunately for Thirteen, her day is not quite over yet. Between a sick daughter, a concerned Cameron, a meddling father, and a devious boss…she has a lot on her plate.

In the next chapter there will be a little bit of…Cadley (?) in the beginning; House will make an appearance; and Remy and Alexis' past will start to be revealed.

And, as usual, let me know what you think. Good, bad, or indifferent. I can take criticism, I'm a big girl now ;)


	4. Off Limits

All of these reviews are amazing and it really helps me to see what about this story you guys like so that I can concentrate on developing those aspects. So, thank you and keep them coming.

**A/N**: I'm not sure that I am entirely pleased with how this chapter came out. It feels like too much crammed into one chapter and that it's all maybe too…intense or something, like it maybe looked better outlined in my busted-ass notebook.

Well, I guess I'll let you guys decide.

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**Chapter Four- Off-Limits **

An hour has passed since Hadley arrived in the ER to find her daughter and she has yet to leave the little girl's side. Cameron had been called away shortly after finding out about Alexis being Thirteen's daughter. However, things have since calmed down in the ER.

A soft knock sounds just outside of the door before Cameron peeks her head in. "Hey," she quietly greets the brunette so as not to disturb the sleeping girl.

"Hey," Hadley replies, feeling somewhat vulnerable about having the other woman know about her having a daughter.

"May I?" Cameron asks, gesturing to an empty seat nearby.

"Go ahead," Thirteen replies her tone still neutral.

Cameron finds herself watching how Hadley's right hand gently grasps her daughter's hand that is laying on the side of the bed nearest to her as she runs the fingers of her left hand through the little girl's dark hair.

"She looks like you," Cameron notes softly, effectively breaking the awkward silence between both women.

At this, Thirteen laughs gently before looking up at the blonde doctor. "You think so?" She smirks knowingly with amusement.

"Yeah. You have the similar eyes, both brunette…she looks like you," Cameron confirms after a moment. She notes the enigmatic smile on the other woman's face. "Why?" She asks, suspicious of the brunette's demeanor.

Hadley leans closer to Cameron as if she's about to spill some big secret. "I'm a natural blonde," she informs her with a smile.

"Really?" Cameron wonders in astonishment, trying to picture the other woman with blonde hair.

"Yeah," Thirteen nods.

Something in the other woman's attitude and behavior strikes Cameron with a sudden revelation. "She's not your daughter, is she?"

"Of course she's my daughter!" Thirteen replies, perhaps more harshly than intended.

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking," a chastised Cameron shakes her head at her own stupidity. "I just thought…It was like you were…You just seem so young to have a seven year old daughter. You had to have been, what, eighteen or twenty?" The blonde stammers, kicking herself for sounding so insensitive.

Thirteen considers the other woman for a moment. "I was seventeen when she was born. Alexis is legally my daughter…but not biologically," she hesitantly explains.

"Oh," Cameron replies lamely, not sure what else to say. "What about her birth parents?" She finds herself asking, hoping that she isn't overstepping her bounds.

"Olivia, her mother, died and her father, he's…not in the picture," Hadley replies, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

Cameron takes a moment, looking down at the little girl. "How did you come to be her…Mom?" She questions curiously.

Again, Hadley hesitates, biting her lip nervously as she debates on how to reply. _What the hell? House already made sure the whole hospital knows that I'm bisexual._ "Olivia and I had been dating since I was fifteen and she was seventeen. Two years later Alexis was born and another two years later, Olivia was dead. My dad and I fought like hell to get custody away from Olivia's parents," she explains quietly, trying to keep out the more sordid details in case Alex is merely pretending to sleep.

"Why didn't you want her parents to get custody? I mean, you must've had a lot going on in school and trying to have a life of your own. Wouldn't it have been easier if you just-"

"No, Olivia's parents were really…oppressive. They kicked her out when they found out about us. They completely cut her out of their lives and, until she died, they wanted nothing to do with Olivia, Alex or me," Hadley cuts her off vehemently.

"Wow," Cameron breathes out in amazement. "I had enough trouble getting through medical school on my own. I can't imagine how it must have been trying to raise a daughter at the same time. How did you even manage getting through so fast? I mean, you're how old?"

Thirteen smirks. "I'm twenty-four. I graduated high school a few years early. Olivia and I met in college," she explains.

Cameron nods, completely in awe of the younger woman. "What about Olivia's parents?…And Alexis' father? Do you keep in contact with them?" She asks after regaining her bearings.

"Eventually her parents came around and they actually like me now. They've been a big part of Alex's life since she was about three years old. We drive out to Connecticut at least once a month to visit. As for her father…well, I'd rather not talk about him with her in the room," she whispers the last part quietly, casting a furtive glance at her daughter.

"Okay," Cameron simply nods, overwhelmed by all the information on the mysterious brunette she has received in so little time. Before she can say anything else, the door opens.

"Hey, what are you still doing in here?" Richard asks the brunette by the bed.

"Keeping on eye on her," Hadley replies obviously. "I didn't want to leave her alone," she continues, returning her gaze to the sleeping child.

"She won't be alone. Get back to work," he kindly orders her, a small smile on his face. "When will she be able to go home?" He asks Cameron, quickly changing the subject and not allowing any room for argument from his own daughter.

"Well, she no longer has a fever of 103, but it's still a bit high. She seems to be getting better, but since she's so young, it'll probably be best to keep her overnight for observation," Cameron explains, easily slipping into 'work-mode'.

"But she will be fine, right?" Richard asks, more to assure his concerned daughter than himself.

"She'll be fine," Cameron confirms. "By this weekend, she should be okay to go ride bikes with you, Ben and Brian," she smiles at the brunette, recalling the other woman's conversation with the neighbor's son yesterday. Thirteen smiles gratefully at the older doctor.

Richard glances between the two women with a knowing smirk. "So, Kiddo, you should probably get back upstairs and do some _**actual **_work," he jokes.

"Yeah, if playing stupid ass _Monopoly _is considered '_**actual**_'work," Thirteen murmurs to herself with a disgruntled tone as she stands up and stretches. "I guess I'll see you later then," she directs at Cameron before she leaves.

"Yeah," Cameron replies quietly to herself as she watches the stunning brunette disappear down the hallway.

"So…" Richard trails off with a smile as he tries to get the other woman's attention.

"Is there something wrong Mr. Hadley?" Cameron questions, concerned.

"No, no. It's just that you and Remy seem close, but I don't recall her mentioning you before," he explains, knowing full well that she tries to keep as much of her personal life away from him as possible

"I don't imagine that she would. We don't really…interact much," Cameron replies, scrunching up her brow in confusion at the direction of his line of questioning.

"I see," Richard nods. "She likes you, you know," he states bluntly after taking a moment to consider his words.

"Uh…um. Huh?" Cameron eloquently replies, more than a little flustered as a blush creeps up her face.

"I've never known her to be that open with anyone about Alex before. So I figure that she must see something in you that she trusts," he rephrases, smirking at having thrown the young doctor off balance.

"Yeah, I suppose," Cameron replies, before settling into her own musings regarding the brunette in question. "Your daughter is amazing," she quietly states, unaware that she even said it aloud.

"Don't I know it. Her mother would be proud," is Richard's thoughtful reply.

"I don't know if I could've handled it if I was in her situation. After Alexis' biological mother died, I'm sure I would've completely fallen apart if this had happened to me," the blonde doctor admits, embarrassed at her weakness.

Richard studies her for a moment, deciding on how much he wants to divulge to the pretty blonde doctor. "Is there somewhere that we can talk privately?" He asks, determining that what he wants to tell her, probably wouldn't be appropriate in front of his granddaughter.

"Yeah," Cameron responds, curious enough to continue the conversation elsewhere.

--

As soon as Thirteen steps off the elevator, she is greeted by the curious visage of her boss. She glances over at him with an arched brow, waiting for him to ask whatever embarrassing question has been plaguing him since she left the Diagnostics Office.

"What?" She finally asks impatiently, not in the mood for his creepy stare.

"I just wanted to know what was so important that _**you**_, specifically, were paged," House responds, curious about how truthful she'll answer.

"It's personal and, therefore, none of your business," Thirteen says coolly, not willing to give anything away.

"If it's personal, that means that it must be juicy," House wags his eyebrows comically, giving her another chance to tell him before he stops being nice about it.

"No, if it's personal, it means that it's none of your _**damn **_business," Hadley snaps back, becoming highly irritated.

House sighs and rolls his eyes as he decides that she has given him no choice. "Someone's cranky. Must be from being up all night with a sick _**daughter**_-" House's snarky comment is cut off by Hadley violently pulling him into his office by the collar of his shirt. "Wow, being a dying lesbian has made you really aggressive," he informs her harshly, not appreciating having been manhandled.

"Shut the fuck up House!" Thirteen shouts, obviously seething at this point. "You can make all the smart ass comments about me having Huntington's or me being bisexual, but you _**will **_leave my daughter out of your childish ramblings," she commands, jabbing her index finger into his chest repeatedly during her short speech.

House lets a flicker of fear flit across his face at her ferocity. "Don't get your panties in a bunch _**Mom**_," he retorts after regaining his voice.

"Seriously, just…don't. Alexis is off-limits," Thirteen states, having regained her composure startlingly fast.

"If you say so Dr. Jekyll," House smirks at her violent mood swings. "So…you look good for having had a kid. And too young to have a seven year old…How old were you? Thirteen?" He jokes. She shoots him a withering glare. "Whatever," he grumbles with a roll of his eyes.

--

As Cameron and Richard walk though the halls of the hospital, they both find themselves lost in their own thoughts. It isn't long before they reach Cameron's office.

Once inside, the air between them seems to shift as Richard tries to decide how to start. So, after a moment, he decides to go for the direct route.

"Remy loved Olivia so much. When Olivia died, she was totally devastated and she _**did**_ fall apart," Richard confesses. He pauses as he recalls the feeling of his heart breaking at the memory of his only child hitting rock-bottom at the age of nineteen.

"Really?" Cameron inquires, genuinely shocked at the revelation. This effectively pulls him out of his musings.

"Yeah…but she eventually pulled out of it and it's something she struggles with even now sometimes," Richard sighs as he reflects on his daughter's questionable coping strategies that she sometimes employs.

"I don't understand. She doesn't seem like she has any vices or anything. If you hadn't said anything, I'd be worrying that she's, perhaps, _**too**_ well-adjusted," the blonde doctor insists.

Richard studies the young woman, weighing he pros and cons of revealing his daughter's weaknesses to someone who is, essentially a stranger. "Remy lost the love of her life when she was nineteen. After four years together, Olivia was suddenly gone and she was so…lost. She started going downhill. After she got custody of Alexis, she only fell further and faster. She had a full-blown drinking problem before she was twenty," he sighs sadly.

Cameron is silent for a few moments. "She doesn't seem like the type…" she muses to herself.

In response, Richard laughs humorlessly. "Not _**now**_, but she would be out at all hours of the night doing god-knows-what with god-knows-who, but she pulled herself together…for Alexis as well as herself," he explains slowly, trying not to become overly consumed with memories.

"Did she just snap out of it or did something happen to make her change?" The young doctor asks tentatively.

This brings a fond smile to the older man's face. "Not long after Alex turned three, Remy was putting her to bed and Lexi looked up at her and said 'I love you Mommy'," he explains nostalgically.

Cameron appears to be confused. "I don't…" she trails off, not understanding the significance.

"It was the first time Alex called her 'Mommy'…and it changed her life. Remy got her act together. She stayed in the top percent of her class in medical school, she was holding down a full-time job, _**and**_ she was raising Alexis," Richard further elaborates.

"She had her hands full…I guess she still kind of does. At least she has you though, right?" Cameron smiles at the older man sitting across from her in her office. "Has Thir- Remy," she corrects herself, trying to get a feel for the younger doctor's _**real **_name. "Has she dated since Olivia died?" She questions, thinking back to the other woman's odd behavior when she asked her out the other day.

"Oh, she's _**tried**_," Richard replies with a hearty laugh. "A year or so after everything settled down with Olivia's death and Remy getting her life back on track, she made a couple of attempts to date," he adds upon seeing the perplexed expression on the other woman's face.

"I'm guessing that they didn't turn out so well," Cameron ventures with a smirk.

"Alex _**hated**_ everyone that Remy ever brought home. As far as she's concerned, if her daughter doesn't like them, they are not worth keeping around. She'd dump their ass right then and there, no questions asked, no second chances. I'll be damned if she ever takes _**my**_ advice though," he grumbles this last part to himself.

At this, Cameron actually laughs. "Sound like Alexis is one picky little girl," she comments with amusement.

"Remy's the only mother that she has ever remembered and she likes to make sure that her mother isn't dating some loser or stalker or something equally distasteful," Richard shrugs, understanding his granddaughter's mission.

"Does Alexis know that Remy isn't her birth mother?" Cameron questions suddenly, the idea striking her just as she thinks to ask it.

"Absolutely. She never tried to keep it a secret and she made sure that Alex knew that as soon as she was old enough to understand. Remy was always very open with her about what Olivia was like and how much she loved her…and loves her still. I think that's part of the reason why Alexis is so picky with who Remy dates."

"Why's that?" A fully absorbed Cameron inquires.

"Because Remy means so much to her and she doesn't want her mother to get her heart broken by someone who isn't worthy of her. Even Alexis can see how lucky she is to have a mom like Remy," Richard explains. "I think that, after all the men and women that Lexi has rejected, she started to get a little disenchanted with the whole 'dating scene'," he laughs to himself as he remembers the reactions of the people that his daughter so easily discarded..

"What do you mean?"

"She hasn't been out with anyone for almost four years," Richard replies seriously.

"But she's so gorgeous!" Is Cameron's simple, incredulous response. She clears her throat nervously when she sees Richard arch an amused eyebrow at her outburst. "I mean, she has to have people lining up around the block to be with her…even if she has a kid," she explains herself.

"Therein lies the problem," Richard leans forward in his seat. "Most men don't want a relationship with a young, single mother, no matter how gorgeous she is. Most women, even if they don't mind the fact that she has a daughter, don't want a relationship with an emotionally unavailable workaholic. Even if someone was able to get past all of that, they usually become a casualty of the 'Alexis Test'," he continues.

"The 'Alexis Test'?" Cameron scrunches up her nose briefly, deep in thought. "Is that when Alexis decides that she doesn't like them?"

"You catch on fast," Richard smiles amicably.

They sit there quietly for a moment, taking in each other's company. Cameron looks over at the older man sitting across from her with a curious expression on her face.

"Not that I don't enjoy your company Mr. Hadley, but why are you telling me all of this? Won't Thirteen be upset with you?" She questions him, slipping easily back into the habit of referring to the other woman as 'Thirteen'.

His smile fades slightly at the change in topic. "She probably will," he sighs faintly. "It's like I said before: I can see that she likes you and trusts you and, if I'm not mistaken, the feeling is mutual," he is quick to point out.

The other woman is unable to dispute this, but she has other things on her mind. "What about the 'Alexis Test'?" She wonders, knowing that the seven year old could very well prevent anything from even happening with the brunette doctor.

"I have a feeling that she'll like you," he smiles knowingly.

Something else suddenly hits Cameron like a kick to the head. "But she has Huntington's," she thinks out loud, her trepidation with this whole thing once again apparent.

"You know about that?" Richard asks, clearly shocked at this revelation.

"Yeah. I heard it through her boss…who was eavesdropping on a phone call of hers last week," she admits easily, knowing that there is really no point in lying to him.

"Does it bother you?" He tentatively asks, knowing that her answer could make or break his whole attempt to set his daughter up with the beautiful blonde.

"Not me personally," Cameron replies, pausing to determine how best to form her thoughts. "But I get the sense that it may bother her. I don't think she's going to want to get involved with anyone any time soon because of it," she says clearly and concisely, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"She doesn't know what she wants," Richard asserts, his gaze unwavering.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Since they never gave any basic information on Thirteen, I actually just took some of it from Olivia Wilde and worked around it. Stuff like the her hair color and her age. So, I had to work in the fact that she's only 24 years old and is a doctor that has a specialized area.

So, I personally think this is obvious, but that goes with out saying. I chose the names of Thirteen's daughter and former lover carefully. Her former lover, Olivia, was named after _**Olivia**_ Wilde. Her daughter, Alexis (Alex), was named for her character on _The O.C._

Also, let me know what you think of this chapter because I am not entirely sure that I am happy with it. It seems kind of like a lot of information way too soon and in way too short a period. It all seems kind of, I don't know…too heavy.

So, yeah, if there's a problem or something doesn't quite fit right, let me know and I can try to fix it. As always, general reviews are much appreciated as well, don't be afraid to tell me what you think.

Also, I hope that their back story didn't disappoint you. Don't forget, I still haven't explained anything about Alexis' father and how/why her mom became preganant in the middle of her relationship with another woman.


	5. Still Eavesdropping

Wow, I never expected that this story would be getting the reaction that it has. I'm glad that you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

**A/N**: You get some more info on Thirteen and Alexis in this chapter, but nothing too heavy or anything. Also, more House and a bit of Cadley (it's weird writing that word).

**A/N2**: I know Thirteen's dad came on a little strong in the last chapter, but he feels like he as to come on strong to make up for the fact that Thirteen, on her own, would never be willing to make the first move. It's all out of love. However, if it seems like too much, I can just tone him down a bit.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Chapter Five- Still Eavesdropping**

Later that evening, as Cameron is preparing to leave the hospital for the night, she decides to check up on Thirteen's daughter. She walks up to the room, only to pause when she sees that the little girl has another visitor. Cameron takes a moment to watch the brunette doctor slumped in her seat as she keeps an eye on the still sleeping girl.

As if sensing someone watching her, Thirteen looks up at the doorway to see the blonde standing there. "Hey," she quietly greets the older doctor.

"You here for the night?" Cameron inquires, noting that the brunette has changed into a pair of faded blue jeans and an old Metallica t-shirt, her clothes from earlier folded neatly in the corner atop a gym bag that was not there before.

"Yeah," Hadley follows the other woman's eyes to the corner. "My dad brought Lexi and me a change of clothes earlier," she explains.

Cameron nods in understanding. "She _**will**_ be fine," she assures the brunette.

At the other woman's tone Hadley glances up to meet her eyes. "I know she will be. She's looking forward to riding bikes with the boys his weekend," she smirks.

"I bet their parents are looking forward to them getting out of the house too," the blonde jokes as she makes her way into the room.

"They can be a bit of a handful sometimes…but they're always good for me," Remy shrugs easily.

"I think kids are supposed to behave better for anyone that isn't one of their parents. I think that's a law," Cameron informs the younger doctor with a serious expression on her face.

At this, Hadley actually laughs out loud. "Alexis would be the exception to that law."

"She doesn't behave for other people either?" Cameron quirks a brow in response.

"No. Not that. She's always been a good kid, even when she was just a baby," the other woman replies with a loving smile directed at her daughter.

Cameron watches the tender way Thirteen brushes a strand of dark brown hair from the seven year old's face. "Tell me about her. What's she like?" She asks, wanting to know more about the girl.

"Alexis is the best daughter a parent could hope for," Thirteen muses. "She doesn't get in trouble at school, she gets along with all of the other kids, and she's really smart for her age," she expands on her original line.

"If she's seven, then she must be in…first grade?" Cameron wonders, trying to do the math in her head.

"Third," Hadley corrects before seeing the stunned look on the blonde's face. "I had her start Kindergarten a year early and she skipped second grade all on her own," is the explanation.

"Wow, she really is smart. I guess she got that from you, huh?" The blonde doctor smiles before realizing that Alexis couldn't inherit any of Remy's traits as she is not her mother. "Well, at least you set a good example," she covers the slip.

"She and I have that in common, but as far as personality goes, we are quite different," the brunette agrees with the first part of Cameron's assessment, pointedly ignoring the latter part so as not to cause her to feel uncomfortable.

"Oh? Like how?" Cameron questions as she moves further into the room. She indicates hesitantly towards a vacant chair, silently asking if it is okay for her to sit.

"Go ahead," Hadley allows amiably as Cameron sits down. She pauses for a moment to gather her thoughts on her and her daughter. "I was never as playful and open as Lexi is. She makes friends wherever she goes. She's more outgoing than I have ever been. I've always been more on the shy side," she confesses easily.

"I find that hard to believe. I've seen you with House. You really don't hold back with him very much…you stand up to him more than the others," Cameron insists as she leans forward in her seat, keeping her eyes trained on the other woman.

Hadley just smiles enigmatically. "You should hear some of the things I _**don't **_say," she jokes before going back to the topic. "Besides who I am at work is definitely not who I am at home," Remy sighs before noticing the odd look on the other woman's face. "You have to think, when I was in high school, I was younger than everyone else in my class by at least two or three years. I was the quiet, average-looking girl in the back of the class who knew all of the answers. The teachers all graded on a curve, so I was universally hated," she explains, a sardonic smirk planted firmly on her face.

"I find it hard to imagine you ever being described as being only 'average-looking'," Cameron responds, causing both women in the room to blush at the comment. "I can't believe I just said that out loud," she groans.

"It's okay," Remy replies, dropping her eyes to the ground with her cheeks still red, but immensely flattered nonetheless.

Cameron clears her throat awkwardly before changing the subject. "Were you just not much of a people-person or something?" She asks, wondering about the shyness of the other woman.

"That and…" Thirteen hesitates, "…I had a bit of a stutter," she admits reluctantly.

"You're a liar," the blonde smiles back warmly, immediately setting the younger doctor at ease.

"It was pretty horrible. I was so self-conscious about it that I didn't talk to anyone. I'm sure that half the school thought I was mute or something," she rolls her eyes at herself.

"You seemed to have recovered well," the other woman notes. "How did you do it?"

"Slowly…Very slowly. I was eighteen by the time it had _**finally **_disappeared all together."

"That must have made college fun," Cameron states with amusement.

"I was a mess. It was especially horrible when Alexis' mom was in labor and I was in the delivery room trying to be supportive. 'Br-br-br-bre-breathe'," she mocks herself before they both start laughing.

After a few moments, their laughter dies down, thus leaving them in a companionable silence.

"I'm glad I finally got a chance to talk to you," Cameron confesses.

"Oh?" An interested Remy wonders.

"Yeah."

"And why is that?"

"I don't know…You're just the one person in the hospital that nobody knows much about. Up until yesterday I could count all of the things I knew about you on one hand…and have fingers left over," Cameron points out.

"Let me guess: my dead mom had Huntington's," Thirteen begins, raising her index finger as though counting. "And…that I'm bisexual," she finishes, lifting her middle and index fingers to indicate only two things. "That about cover it Dr. Cameron?"

"It does actually Dr. Hadley…and you can call me Allison," the blonde doctor responds.

Thirteen takes a moment to study the other woman before answering. "Remy," she replies simply, taking in the blonde's reaction. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

"How'd you guess?" Cameron asks, genuinely interested in how the brunette was able to tell that she already knew her name.

"You didn't look surprised to hear it and, since House doesn't care to know my name you couldn't have heard it from him. The only other person in the hospital that _**does**_ know it is Cuddy and she'd have no reason to tell you," she explains as though it were obvious.

"Touché," an impressed Cameron says. "Why do you like to keep everything about yourself a mystery in the first place? I mean, it's just a name," she shrugs as though it was nothing.

"I don't think so. A name is that one word that you use to sum up everything that a person is. To know someone's name means to know that person. It's safer not to reveal yourself to someone unless you know that you can trust them," Remy answers slowly, trying to make sure she doesn't leave anything out.

Allison allows herself to take minute to let everything sink in. "You told me your name. Does this mean that you trust me?" Is her self-conscious inquiry.

There is a slight pause on the brunette's behalf. "Yeah, I think it does. I don't like to talk about myself, much less Alexis, to anybody…but it's easy with you," she declares candidly.

Once again the two women find themselves in the midst of a deep silence. The only difference is that, this time, it's much more intense and charged than the last one.

"I think I'm going to go now and let you sit with your daughter. I'll see you tomorrow?" Allison asks quietly, unsure what to do with the odd feelings twisting around in her gut.

"Yeah. I'll be here," Hadley nods her tone just as low.

"Goodnight Remy," the older woman smiles softly, earning her a smile in return.

As soon as the blonde doctor is out of the room, Remy releases a deep sigh and looks down to her sleeping daughter. She closes her eyes and forces herself to relax and ignore the childish excitement of talking to the beautiful doctor.

"Well Lexi, it's safe to say that this is new territory for me," she admits softly to herself more so than the sleeping girl that she addressed.

--

House finds himself strutting, as much as he _**can**_ strut, into the hospital a bit earlier than usual. This is due to the fact that this morning is anything but the usual morning. He instantly begins to make his way through the hospital right to a room with a seven year old girl and her mom.

He watches from nearby as Thirteen says something to her daughter before leaving the room. At this, he grins mischievously before making his way into the room himself.

"Good morning," he greets the girl.

Alexis looks at him suspiciously. "Who are you?" She asks, not sure if she can trust the man in front of her.

"Dr. House. I'm your mother's boss," he introduces himself offering a warm smile meant to set the girl at ease.

The seven year old just nods in acceptance. When nothing else is forthcoming, she begins to grow a little impatient. "Is there something wrong?" She asks uncomfortably, coughing a little.

"How old is your mom?" House questions her suddenly.

"Why do you want to know?" Alexis answers with a question of her own. He rolls his eyes at her response and gives her a 'just answer the question' look. "Twenty-four," she sighs.

"So, she was seventeen when you were born," House muses to himself. "Does she have a girlfriend? Boyfriend?" He asks, hoping to be able to pump the girl for information.

"I don't see what that has to do with anything," she notes obviously with another cough.

"Oh, come on! She won't tell me anything about herself," he justifies himself.

"What makes you think _**I **_will?"

"You seem like a good, honest kid. I don't think you'd lie to me."

"Sucking up won't work," Alexis points out.

"You're to much like your mom," he grumbles irritably.

"Thank you," the girl beams happily.

"That wasn't meant as a compliment," House retorts.

"But it was taken as one," Alexis shoots back, sniffling slightly.

House takes a moment to really look at the sick little girl. "You even look a lot like her," he says, mostly to himself. At this, Alexis actually laughs at the older man.

Before House has a chance to question her reaction, Thirteen walks back into the room holding a cup of coffee. "What are _**you **_doing in here?" She asks him, a threatening tone to her voice.

"Hi Mom!" Alexis greets the brunette doctor with a big smile, causing Hadley's own expression to soften at the girl. "Dr. House said that I look like you," she informs her, still giggling.

"He did huh?" She inquires, amusement evident in her voice, noting how much better the little girl seems to be feeling.

"Yeah. Everyone thinks that I look like you."

"Everyone?" House cuts in curiously.

"I heard Dr. Cameron in here yesterday telling Mom that we look alike. It was funny, huh Mom?" The girl babbles on.

"Why is that funny?" House wonders, very much interested in what the younger girl has to say.

"It's because she's-"

"Lexi, could you excuse Dr. House and me for a second?" Remy kindly asks her daughter, preventing her from revealing something she doesn't want him to know.

"Okay," the girl nods.

Hadley once again finds herself pulling House by the collar to have a word with him. "What do you think you're doing?" She asks him as soon as they are out of earshot of her daughter.

"I was just making conversation with _**Alexis**_. She's a good kid…too much like you, but she's sweet nonetheless," House smirks before noticing the unimpressed expression on the other woman's features. He rolls his eyes. "Relax Huntington's. She didn't tell me anything…except that you're probably way too young to be a doctor in the first place."

"She didn't say that," Thirteen asserts.

"No but she told me how old you were," House admits.

"Great," she deadpans.

After a moment, a thought suddenly strikes the older doctor and he grins. "So, what else did you and Cameron talk about?" He asks suggestively.

Thirteen just groans, turns and walks back into the room, leaving House to stew in the hallway. "Hey Sweetie, can you go get changed while I get your stuff together? Grandpa is on his way to pick you up," she explains to her daughter.

"So, I'll see you when you get home tonight?" Alexis wonders as she goes to get dressed.

"Of course," Thirteen confirms as she finishes getting all of the seven year old's things together.

"Are you going to be home on time tonight?"

"I'm going to try to, but you know I can't make any promises," Remy answers regretfully.

"I know," Alexis sighs sadly.

"Hey girls," Richard greets Remy and Alexis as he enters the room.

"Hi Dad," she smiles. "If you want to wait here, I'll just go and get Lexi discharged and you guys can go."

"Okay," her dad nods before turning to his granddaughter. "How are you feeling Kiddo?"

"Better Grandpa."

"You about ready?" Richard asks as he takes her hand and they exit the hospital room.

"Yeah."

They begin to make their way to the hospital entrance in search of Remy. Before they can find her, they come across Cameron instead.

"Hi Dr. Cameron!" Alexis greets the blonde doctor warmly as soon as she spots her.

Allison looks over at the voice and smiles as she sees Remy's daughter. "Hey you two. You seem to be feeling better. Are you leaving?" She asks as she notices that the girl has changed clothes.

"I'm feeling much better, thank you. As soon as we find Mommy we're going to go home," Alexis answers.

Smiling at the seven year old's politeness, she pauses to think for a moment. "I haven't seen her, but, if she's signing you out, she'll probably be at the Nurse's Station," Cameron replies helpfully.

"Where would that be?" Richard asks, not sure if he trusts himself not to get lost in the large hospital.

"I'll take you," she offers.

"I don't want to keep you from…whatever it is you were doing," Richard says.

"It's no problem. I am going that way anyways," Cameron shrugs.

"Thank you Dr. Cameron," Alexis grins up at the older woman, earning a warm smile in return.

"What?" Allison asks a smirking Richard.

"I told you Alexis would like you," he answers her smugly, causing the blonde doctor to blush slightly.

"Mommy!" Alexis calls out as soon as she spots her mother at the Nurse's Station.

Hadley turns just in time to spot her daughter rushing over and attaching herself at to her side. She rests her left hand on the top of the little girl's head, running her fingers through her daughter's dark hair and offering a fond smile.

"Hey Alex," Remy greets before looking up and seeing her father and Dr. Cameron approaching.

"Dr. Cameron helped me and Grandpa find you. She's really nice…and really pretty," the little girl states as she continues to hug her mother. "Don't you think Dr. Cameron is pretty?" She asks, innocently looking up at the brunette doctor.

Hadley glances over at the blonde, who is close enough to have heard the question and is trying not to look like she is interested in hearing the answer. "Yes, I think Dr. Cameron is very pretty," she replies, more to the doctor in question than to her daughter.

"Maybe Dr. Cameron can be your new girlfriend," Alexis suggests excitedly. At this, Thirteen and Cameron's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"Come on Lexi, let's get you home and back to bed," Richard intervenes on the women's behalf.

"But Grandpa…" the seven year old begins to whine.

"Alex, what have I told you about whining?" Remy asks the little girl sternly.

"Not to do it…ever," she mumbles back, sufficiently chastised.

"Right," Hadley nods before bending down to kiss her daughter tenderly on the forehead. "Now go on home with Grandpa and get some rest. I'll see you when I get off work, okay Sweetie?" She questions, her voice softening back.

"Okay. Have a good day Mommy," Alexis replies before going off with Richard.

"I am _**so**_ sorry about that," Remy offers to Allison as soon as the other two are out of sight. "She sometimes just says whatever she's thinking _**as**_ she's thinking it," she further apologizes, almost mortified at what her daughter had said.

"Don't worry about it. It's flattering really," Cameron replies, amused at the grimace on the other woman's face.

"What do you mean?" Thirteen asks, her horror replaced by general curiosity.

"Your dad was telling me that Alexis has _**never **_liked any of the people you've ever dated. It's flattering that she likes me," she explains herself easily.

"I can't believe he told you that," the brunette groans before taking a moment to pause. "Wait. When were you talking to my dad?"

At this, Cameron finds herself stopping short at her slip. "Uh, yesterday. We were talking and it came up," she replies vaguely.

Before Remy can further interrogate the other doctor, House sidles up to them both. "You know, that whole scene was very touching…especially the part about you two-"

"House!" Hadley barks at her boss, torn between embarrassment and anger at his continuing campaign to eavesdrop on her every conversation.

"What? I was around and couldn't help but hear your daughter give the two of you her blessing," he shrugs with poorly imitated innocence.

"There is nothing going on between Allison and me," Thirteen asserts vehemently.

House makes note of the saddened look on Cameron's face. "I see we've moved on to being on a first name basis," he points out smugly.

"House, don't be a jerk," Cameron cuts in.

"Do we have any patients today or should I expect another round of _Monopoly_?" Thirteen asks the older man, trying to shift the attention away from her and the blonde.

"No patients yet, but it's still early. And, after Kutner's little temper-tantrum yesterday, I was thinking something more along the lines of _Scabble_," House informs the young brunette.

"Are you trying to make Kutner cry? All he does is whine and complain. The man can't handle board games," Remy points out.

"You're right," House muses silently for a moment. "Well, I have season two of _The O.C._ in my office. I think we should watch all the episodes with Alex so that the team can get a better understanding of you crazy bisexuals," he grins wickedly.

"You just want to see Olivia Wilde making out with Mischa Barton," Cameron interjects.

"Uh huh, well, I'm going to take a pass on that," Thirteen informs him stubbornly.

"Even better, you can help _**Allison **_in the ER again," House says, mockingly using the blonde's first name.

"I could always use the help," Cameron tells her, hoping that the dark-haired doctor would say 'yes'.

"Okay, I just need to change into a pair of scrubs," she nods, shooting her boss a glare before going off to get changed. Allison can't help but grin at the prospect of having the other woman in her department for the day.

"Are you sure you don't want to come up and watch _The O.C._ with us? Olivia Wilde looks an awful lot like blonde version of Thirteen. It'll be a lot less obvious if you were drooling over a T.V. screen with four other people than drooling in the ER with a few dozen others," House smugly states as he takes in the way the other woman stares longingly at the place the brunette once stood.

"Hadley is a natural blonde," Cameron instead responds before pausing a moment. "And I'm not drooling!" She adds irritably.

"Whatever you say," he smirks. "So, I heard that you asked her out Monday."

"Where did you hear that?" The other woman asks, neither confirming or denying.

"One of the nurse's overheard the two of you. So, are you two going at it? Is that how you know she's a natural blonde?" He wags his eyebrow suggestively.

"House!" Cameron exclaims, horrified that he would even ask her that. "She only said that she'd think about it. She was right when she told you that there was nothing going on between us."

"But you'd like there to be," House observes pointedly.

Allison pauses, the denial ready on her lips. "Yeah," she instead confesses.

"Good luck with the Ice Queen," the older doctor scoffs.

"She's not-"

"Don't you have a lame T.V. series to watch?" Remy interrupts as she approaches the two of them.

House eyes both women for a moment before nodding slightly. "Have fun girls. Oh, and if you do 'have fun', I want pictures," he grins lecherously.

Thirteen waits until she is sure that her boss has disappeared until she turns to the blonde doctor. "So, you know how you asked if I wanted to maybe go out sometime…with you?" She asks, cringing slightly at how awkward it sounded.

"Yeah," Cameron replies slowly, apprehensive about where Hadley is going with the question.

"I was just wondering if the offer still stands," Remy says, noticing how the other woman tensed up, as if preparing for a rejection.

"You want to go out with me?" Cameron asks, pleasantly surprised as the brunette simply nods. "Then of course the offer still stands. When are you free?" She grins happily.

Thirteen can't help but return with a smile of her own. "I was thinking maybe this Saturday?" She says as she makes it sound more like a question.

"Saturday is perfect," Cameron replies easily. "What made you change your mind?" She asks after a moment.

"Alex did," Thirteen answers, only to receive a look of confusion. "You were right about her never liking anyone that I ever dated. The fact that she actually likes you means a lot to me because it means that she and I are on the same page about someone for once."

"So, that means that you like me too?" Cameron asks slyly.

"Yeah, it does," is the honest reply.

"Well, then Dr. Hadley, I guess we have ourselves a date," Allison grins.

"I guess we do Dr. Cameron," the other woman smiles back fondly.

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Gasp! A date! Now, you probably don't want to hear this, but I almost decided that this would be the last chapter. It took me two days of debating with myself to decide that I love writing this story and pairing that I want to keep going with it. So, I rewrote some of the dialogue at the end to keep it going.

Just so you know, I had a lot of fun writing the short dialogue between House and Alexis and I am pretty happy with how it turned out. I liked writing it as much as the_ Monopoly_ scene back in Chapter Three. So, let me know if you like it as much as I do.

Also, I just wanted to say that I _**never**_ use original characters...ever. So the fact that I have _**two**_ in this fic is kind of weird for me...especially considering how big a role they play. So, just let me know if you have a problem with either of them or anything, let me know and I'll minimalize how much they appear.

Uh, that's it for now. Until next time...


	6. Hot Mama

Yay! I love reviews. You guys are great. I would've posted this earlier today…but it wasn't finished yet. I was kind of blocked.

**A/N**: Yes, I know it was almost…tacky to mention Alex from _The O.C._ last chapter, but I couldn't help it. I'll mention it again, briefly, in this chapter…Same thing with _Monopoly_.

**A/N2**: I don't know if I like this chapter very much. It feels kind of…_**blah**_ to me. I do like the way the last scene turned out though. I'll let you guys be he judge…

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**Chapter Six- Hot Mama**

As per usual, Remy is standing in front of the door of her father's house, feeling a bit restless as she does so. After a few moments of waiting, she opens the door and walks in on her own.

"Dad?! Alex?!" She calls out, wondering where they could be.

"Hey Kiddo," Richard greets his daughter as he appears from out of the kitchen. "How was your day?"

"What did you tell Cameron about me?" She instead asks, her expression and tone stern.

"What did she tell you that I told her?" He questions back cautiously.

"Well, she knows that Alexis never liked anybody that I've ever dated. She already knew my name. Only one other person that works at the hospital knew it, and they'd have no reason to tell her. That just leaves me wondering _**who**_ could've said something…and what else they told her," Remy reasons, her face still holding a scowl.

"Just…you know, stuff," Richard evades the question with a shrug.

Remy glares at him a moment longer. "Well, whatever you said…Thank you," she states, her tone softening as she reveals a small smile.

Richard stares blankly at her before breaking out into a grin of his own. "You really had m going there for a second. I take it things went well?" He ventures.

"We have a date on Saturday," she smiles back slightly.

"It's about time," her father grunts out. "Four years is too long to go without getting any…especially at your age," he adds.

"Daddy!" Remy snaps out, appalled that her father would say that to her. "Could we _**not **_talk about my sex life?"

"Or lack thereof," he adds under his breath, earning himself a glare from his daughter. "Okay, sorry…So, what are you going to wear?" He then asks, excited for the brunette.

Hadley rolls her eyes. "Don't be such a girl," the doctor smirks. "Is Alex about ready to go home?" She then asks, looking around for any sign of her daughter.

"Yeah. I have her stuff packed up by the door ready to go."

"How's she feeling? Any better?"

"Much. She's just watching T.V. in the guest room and just didn't hear you come in," he shrugs.

"Okay, I'll just go get her and we'll be off," Remy informs him before looking closely at him for a moment. "You didn't give her any of that fast food crap again. You know, like you did Friday?" She asks rhetorically, a ghost of a smile crossing her face.

"She said that she wouldn't tell!" Richard defends himself.

"You should know better. Alex and I would never lie to each other," she reminds him.

"Speaking of that…When are you going to tell her that you have Huntington's?" Richard asks, suddenly concerned that she still doesn't know.

Hadley takes pause at the question. "Not yet…I don't want to worry if it's not necessary."

"I'd say that this is pretty necessary since you're dying," he retorts, his voice quiet to avoid being accidentally overheard.

"I don't even have any symptoms yet and I want her to be old enough to understand that it may be a while before I start getting sick. If I tell her now, she'll expect it to happen any day," she rationalizes, her expression far off.

"Give her more credit than that. She's a bright girl and I'm sure that she'll understand."

"It's _**my **_decision Dad," she growls irritably.

"Not if it concerns your daughter. She has a right to know," he points out.

"And she will…but not yet," Remy retorts, turning around and going off to the guest bedroom to get her daughter.

"Hey Mom!" The seven year old grins as Remy walks into the room.

"Hi Sweetheart. How are you feeling?"

"A lot better…but still not good enough to go back to school," Alexis informs her mother, trying to keep a straight face.

"Uh huh…We'll see," Remy chuckles as she helps her daughter out of bed. She takes a moment to gather her thoughts as she looks down at the floor. "So, what do you think about Dr. Cameron?" She asks.

"I told you at the hospital Mom. I like her," the young brunette explains.

"What do you like about her?" Hadley questions, a small smile playing on her lips.

Alexis thinks about the question for a moment. "I mean, she's pretty and nice and everything, but that's not it. Dr. Cameron makes you smile and laugh a lot, more than anyone else ever has been able to. I've never heard you be so honest with anyone before about me so, I know that you trust her," the seven year old explains clearly. "You really like each other, huh?" She inquires.

Remy offers her daughter a arm smile. "Yeah, we do," is all she says before they go to leave. "Bye Dad, see you tomorrow."

"Bye Grandpa."

"Have a good night girls," Richard offers with a smile of his own, having just overheard their entire conversation.

Once buckled in the car, Alexis suddenly turns to her mother. "Why were you asking me about Dr. Cameron? Do you guys have a date or something?" She asks.

"This Saturday," Remy hesitantly confirms. She relaxes when she sees the bright smile on the little girl's face.

--

Allison all but floats through the hospital doors Friday morning, two days after agreeing to go out on a date with Thirteen this weekend. Unfortunately, they barely had time to see each other yesterday, despite the brunette helping out in the ER once again. They had been swamped with patients.

Smiling kindly, as she walks past other members of the staff, Cameron makes her way to the ER. Not even standing at the Nurse's Station for five minutes before being forced to sign paperwork can bring her down.

"You know, as a spy, you really suck?" A snarky male voice sounds from behind the blonde.

"What do you want House?" Cameron sighs, not willing to let the other man's infuriating presence bring down her good mood.

"Well, I asked you _**nicely**_ to dig up some dirt on Thirteen and you held out on me. I had to find everything out on my own," he practically whines

"No House. I told you that if I thought you would use any of it to exploit her or hurt her in any way, I wouldn't tell you," the younger doctor replies, recalling the conversation vividly.

"Why would you think that I would exploit her?" Is his mock-innocent reply.

"Because you did! I heard about what you said to her upstairs by the Diagnostics Office on Tuesday. You brought up every sensitive topic for her in less than a minute: her bisexuality, the fact that she has Huntington's, and her daughter," Cameron rants, waving her arms in the air.

"Where'd you hear that from?" House asks, genuinely perplexed.

"Foreman overheard you and her yelling in your office. I think what you said was really low, even for you," she comments bluntly.

House merely shrugs. "If she can't handle it, she can leave. I'm not here to baby her or hold her hand. I'm trying to help Thirteen understand that life sucks and not everyone is going to feel sorry for her because life hasn't gone her way and she's a single mom," he attempts to justify himself.

"You're an asshole!" Allison shouts. "Don't you think that, if she was looking for pity, she would have told you rather than waited until you found out on your own once Alexis was brought to the hospital? Cole told everyone within the first month and a half about his own kid. You had to eavesdrop to find out that she was bisexual and had Huntington's. She isn't looking for pity, she just wants to be treated like everyone else and have her privacy respected," she goes on to say.

"_**You**_," House begins, pointing his cane at her, "Do _**not **_get to be the rational one," he finishes irritably, hating to concede that she may have a point.

"Look House, all I'm saying is that maybe you should consider backing off of her a bit. Remy is an excellent doctor and that should speak for itself."

At this, House scoffs. "You should know me better than that by now…And stop with the first names thing because, as cute as it is…" he pauses to fake-gag, "…it's kind of creeping me out," he finishes.

"House," Cameron sighs in exasperation.

"House, are you harassing Dr. Cameron again?" Cuddy asks as she approaches the pair.

"Cameron and Thirteen are sleeping together," the older man blurts out, gesturing wildly towards the young doctor beside him, gaining the attention of everyone around them.

"We are not!" The blonde snaps back in frustration.

"Not _**yet**_," House concedes. "But-"

"Don't you have a patient?" Cuddy asks him, effectively preventing whatever insensitive remark he was preparing.

"Nope. There's really nothing-"

"Now you do," the dean interrupts once more as she grabs the top file on the counter of the Nurse's Station and shoves it in his chest.

House just glares at her before turning and limping off, mumbling about women and their 'time of the month'.

Cuddy casts a curious glance at the blonde. "So, you and Thirteen, huh?" She wonders, her inquisitiveness getting the better of her.

A reflective smile crosses over Allison's face for the briefest of moments before she frowns and looks back over at her boss. "I have to go...um…away," she evades before scurrying off to the ER. Cuddy simply shakes her head and goes to her office.

--

"It was awful. You're so lucky you weren't here yesterday," Kutner whines to Thirteen as they wait upstairs for House.

The brunette doctor, not in the mood for his complaining, glares. "I _**was**_ here, but I was _**actually **_working," she growls out, her voice sounding slightly scratchy.

"But he made us watch some crappy teen soap," Kutner continues before looking at the other woman pensively.

"What?" She barks.

"You do kind of look like Alex from-"

"Don't even," Remy warns him sharply.

"Maybe if you were up here yesterday, we would've played _Monopoly_ again instead," Taub muses.

"Why, so House could make Kutner cry again?" Hadley smirks, rubbing her nose and sniffling briefly.

"I wasn't crying!" The dark-haired man yelps.

"Taub told me House made you cry when he ended up with Park Place and the Boardwalk. Get over it," Thirteen rolls her eyes, trying to stifle a cough.

"Are you feeling okay?" Foreman asks, noticing the other woman's behavior.

"I'm fine," Hadley assures him with irritation.

Before anyone could say anything else, the door to the Diagnostics Office swings open as House enters. "Good morning children," he greets them condescendingly.

"Do we have a patient?" Thirteen asks hopefully, noting the file in his hand.

"Well Hot Mama, that depends on whether or not you plan on wearing underwear on your date with _**Allison**_," House shoots back with a mischievous smirk, making sure to emphasize the other woman's first name.

Hadley simply drops her head, face down, on the desk. "Oh my god," she mumbles to herself, not sure which part of the statement was more mortifying: the new nickname, telling everyone about her and Allison, or asking about the underwear.

Foreman merely reaches over and snatches the file from the older doctor while he isn't paying attention. "Hey!" House barks as Foreman begins writing the symptoms down on the dry-erase board.

"Grow up House," is the only reply he gets from Foreman.

"You and Cameron are dating?" Kutner asks the brunette.

"If I wanted to talk about it, why didn't I bring it up?" She glares, picking her head up and turning her attention to the board.

--

Cameron walks into the Doctor's Lounge in a quest for coffee. As she pours herself a cup she chances a glance around the room. She finds the back of a familiar figure lain out on the couch.

"Hey," she greets the back of the other woman's body with a warm smile.

Hadley, who has been dozing off and on for the last hour, cranes her neck to look over at the blonde. "Hey," she replies, somewhat groggily.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Allison asks sheepishly at her tired voice.

"No, I was just resting my eyes," Thirteen yawns as she sits up and moves over, making room for the other doctor.

Accepting the silent invitation, Cameron takes the offered seat next the brunette, folding her legs under her body and sitting sideways on the couch so that she can better see her.

"So, what's the story with the patient?" Allison asks, almost cringing at how awkward it ended up sounding.

Remy smiles at the expression. "There is no story. Apparently the patient Cuddy made him take was a total dud…She had a heart attack on top of a stroke. Diagnosis took five minutes and then we scattered to avoid playing-"

"_Monopoly_ again?" Allison guesses with a grin.

"No, it was even worse…_Candyland_," the brunette grimaces at the suggestion.

The blonde appears dumbfounded for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Wow…That's a…new one," she gasps out in between giggles.

Hadley rolls her eyes good-naturedly. "Anyway, Taub went to do House's clinic hours, Foreman disappeared somewhere and Kutner is…playing _Candyland_ with House," she shakes her head in amazement at the childishness of the other Fellow, earning a new round of giggles from the blonde.

"So," Cameron begins once her laughter has died down, "What brings you here?" She wonders, gesturing around the room.

"I just needed the quiet for a little while," Thirteen answers vaguely with a shrug.

"Alexis keep you up all night?" Allison wonders, noting the underlying fatigue etched across the younger doctor's face.

"A little," Hadley admits.

"How's she feeling by the way? I meant to ask yesterday, but we were all, you know 'argh!' in the ER…" she trails off, not sure how she originally intended on ending that sentence.

Thirteen smiles fondly at the other woman's description of the disaster that was yesterday. "I understand…I was there too, remember?" She asks rhetorically with a quirked eyebrow. "She's doing a lot better. Just like you said, she'll be fine to go ride bikes with boys and me tomorrow," she smirks.

"See? Nothing to worry about," the blonde doctor grins as she playfully bumps shoulder with Remy.

"Yeah, yeah. I know," the younger woman chuckles as she bumps Allison's shoulder back.

They quietly sit there smiling easily at each other before becoming serious once again. The two women find their faces slowly drifting closer. Remy reaches up and drags her fingertips along Allison's jaw line, moving up to sweep a stray lock of blonde hair off of her face. Allison allows her eyes to flutter closed at the contact, her lips parting slightly in anticipation. Their lips are only half a second away from meeting and…the door slams open.

"Oh good, I'm just in time," House grins triumphantly upon seeing the closeness of the two women.

Hadley pulls away slightly and lets her head drop in frustration, her hand falling away from the blonde doctor's face as she does so.

Allison groans at the intrusion and lack of contact. "I hate you so much right now House," she growls at her former boss.

The man in question merely smirks. "Don't mind me," he says with a wave of his cane as he takes a seat on the coffee table in front of the couch and facing the pair. "You may continue Lesbians," he informs them with a nod of his head.

Thirteen shakes her head to clear away the fact that she is still amazed by his immaturity. "I don't think so. You kind of ruined the moment," she states with a glare.

"How cute!" The older man gushes mockingly. "You guys, like, totally had a 'moment'," he elaborates in a faux Valley-girl voice.

Cameron uncurls her legs to stand up, offering a hand to help Hadley up as well. "So, we're still on for tomorrow, right?" She asks hopefully, blatantly ignoring the other man standing in the room.

"Yeah, definitely," Remy confirms with a smile., still holding onto the hand used to pull her into a standing position. They stay standing like this for a moment, never breaking eye contact…At least until they see movement in the corner of their eyes as House stands as well, hoping to get a better view of the pair.

Allison rolls her eyes at him as she and Hadley reluctantly release the other's hand. "See you tomorrow," she says to the brunette. "Bye House," she sighs, shooting a glare his way.

"See you tomorrow," Remy repeats the other woman with a soft smile. Taking a moment to glower at her boss, Hadley wordlessly stalks off out of the room and down the hall.

House releases an exaggerated sigh. "Lesbians are so dramatic," he laments to himself, saddened at not getting a free show from the two women.

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Like I said, I am not too sure about this chapter, let me know what you think.

Also, I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but I took a lot of Alexis' personality traits from the daughter in the episode "It's A Wonderful Lie". I kind of got a little bit of the relationship between her and Thirteen from that…As in the fact that they don't lie to each other. And, technically, Thirteen isn't lying about having Huntington's because she never told Alex that she _**didn't **_have it.

So, Alexis like Cameron and Thirteen and Cameron have a date tomorrow, nothing could _**possibly**_ go wrong and get in the way of their plans…Right?


	7. Reschedule?

I seemed to make people really upset with House in the last chapter. I'm happy hat you guys are enjoying this story.

**A/N**: I hope you don't think that I'm just going to let things be **_that_** easy. Thirteen has another bad day ahead of her. I wonder why I torture my favorite character so much?

**A/N2**: This chapter was fun for me to write. I don' know why, but it seemed to practically write itself.

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**Chapter Seven- Reschedule?**

_**BEEP! BEEP! BE**_-

Thirteen sluggishly throws her arm to the side to shut off her alarm.

It's Saturday. After riding bikes with Brian, Ben and Alexis, she has her date with Dr. Allison Cameron. A lazy smile drifts across her face at the thought of the beautiful older doctor. Then, the unthinkable happens, she coughs…and coughs…and coughs some more.

"Ah crap," Remy curses mildly once the coughing fit has subsided. She leans her head back on the pillow and drapes her left arm across her eyes. "Not today," she whines to herself.

"Mom, what do you always tell _**me **_about whining?" Alex asks from the doorway. Remy lifts her arm from her face and gives her daughter a blank stare. "Not to do it…ever," the little girl reminds her in a smart-alecky tone.

The doctor arches her eyebrow dangerously at the tone. "Glad to see you're feeling better," she states in a scratchy voice, noting the seven year old's returned cheekiness.

"Are you feeling okay?" The small brunette questions, concerned, as she hears the hoarseness in her mother's voice.

Hadley clears her throat in a futile attempt to get her voice back to normal. "I'll be fine," she replies, sill sounding a bit rough.

"We can always just go ride bikes next weekend. Brian and Ben won't mind…and I'm sure Dr. Cameron would understand if you can't go out with her," Alexis reasons.

"No, no. I'll be okay. I promise…Now go get dressed," Remy reassures the girl as she has to force herself not to _**crawl**_ out of bed.

Alexis doesn't appear convinced. "If you're sure.." she trails off, earning a nod and a smile from the other woman. She turns to go to her room, sending her a skeptical parting glance before exiting the room.

With a sigh, Remy makes her way to the bathroom to blow her nose and she takes a moment to chance a look in the mirror. Her eyes are bloodshot, she's pale, and her nose is red and runny. She turns on the tap and splashes cool water on her face. A familiar irritation builds up in her throat and she finds herself in the midst of another coughing fit.

"This sucks," Thirteen grumbles as she opens the door to the medicine cabinet. The only cough medicine she finds is grape-flavored Dimetapp…children's cough medicine. She shrugs to herself before going to the kitchen to get a spoon, reading the directions on the back.

As she pours out the first of two tablespoons, she grimaces, expecting it to taste horrible as she sticks it in her mouth. Her eyes open wide. "That isn't bad," she muses before taking another tablespoon and recapping he bottle. She rinses off the spoon and sticks it in the dishwasher before going back to her own room to get changed, feeling better already.

Twenty minutes later finds both of them ready just in time for a knock to sound at the door. Remy walks over and opens it up to reveal Ben and Brian standing there.

"Hey!" Alex shouts with excitement from behind her mother when she spots them.

"Hey boys," she greets them with a soft smile. "How's the arm Brian?" She asks the boy she gave stitches to on Monday.

The boy in question holds his arm up with a smile of his own. "Better. Thank you Dr. Hadley," he replies politely.

"Lexi and I are going to get our bikes. We'll meet you by the elevator," she instructs, pointing at the double metal doors no more than 15 feet away.

"Okay," the say simultaneously, completely obedient.

Remy closes the door to roll the bikes out from behind it. Alex takes her own as she goes out to stand with the boys by the elevator while her mom locks the door.

"Are we ready?" Hadley asks the trio rhetorically as they wait for the elevator, glad that it is finally back in service.

"Yeah," the kids all agree, placing a gentle smile on the young doctor's face.

--

"Ow," Remy cringes as she steps hard on a crack in the sidewalk on the way back to the apartment. She is limping heavily and using her bike as a crutch as she and the three kids approach the building.

"Are you _**sure**_ you're okay?" Alex questions, her voice full of worry as she casts another furtive glance at her mother.

"Uh huh," the brunette mumbles, biting her lip as she tries not to cry out as she adds pressure to her swollen left ankle.

The four of them continue to move along in silence, the three kids still on their bikes, but pedaling slowly so as not to get to far ahead of the doctor. As they come up to their apartment building, Remy almost sobs in relief.

Hopping off their bikes, the boys race to be the first one to the elevator and hit the button. Alex hangs back a bit, walking along side her mom for the rest of the short, painful trip. Brian, the first to the elevator, keeps his arm between the two doors, preventing it from closing. He lets Hadley go in before him.

"Thanks Brian," she smiles gratefully at the boy, he blushes and ducks his head as he gets in the large elevator as well.

Moments later finds them upstairs with Remy leaning on her bike and struggling with her keys. The door beside her swings open at the noise.

"Did you have fun?" Ann asks as she sees everyone outside of the door.

"Great," Remy attempts to smile, but it comes out as a pained grimace.

Noting the look on the young doctor's face, Ann looks her neighbor over, pausing at the swollen ankle that she can't put her weight on. "Remy, what happened?!" She cries out.

The brunette shoots her a look that says 'I don't want to talk about it'. "She rode her bike into a parked car," Brian explains.

"Then she bailed off and landed on her foot," Ben further states. "It was pretty cool," he adds with a grin as he remembers what happened.

Remy merely scowls at the boys and Alex hits Ben in the arm. "That's mean," she informs the older boy, angry at him for thinking that her mom hurting herself was cool.

"Sorry Dr. Hadley," a chastised Ben apologizes before looking down at his shoes.

Remy's eyes soften at this. "It's okay. I probably would have thought it was cool too if I had seen it," she tells him in hopes of making the boy feel better. It works as he instantly brightens up.

Ann watches the scene fondly, marveling at the other woman's ability to interact with kids. "Okay. How about you guys go in and watch T.V. while I help Dr. Hadley get into her apartment and get settled?" She asks and they all appear reluctant. "Then, when I get back, I'll fix you guys something for lunch?" She further offers. At this, they readily agree before heading into Ann and her husband's apartment.

Alexis pauses and looks hesitantly at her mother, who is now leaning on the wall for support. "Mom?" She asks tentatively, her voice quiet and filled with concern.

Remy looks up and makes eye contact with the seven year old for a moment. "I'll be okay Sweetheart. Go ahead," she urges the little girl with a warm smile. Alex simply nods and follows the boys.

Ann smiles softly at the interaction. "Okay, let's get you in before you collapse," she says to the younger woman as she takes the keys and opens the door. Remy tries to grab her bike as she goes in. "Nuh uh. I'll get that. You just hobble over to the couch," she instructs sternly.

Remy does just that, limping her way over to her couch, she breathes out a sigh of relief as she finally takes a seat and props her foot up on the table. Just as she begins to relax, she lets out a hard cough, followed by a series of others…each roughly jarring her injured ankle.

The other woman chooses this moment to fully enter the apartment after setting Remy and Alexis' bikes behind the door. "Are you sick?" She asks once the coughing has died down.

"Just a little cough," the young doctor downplays as she feels the effects of the cough syrup from earlier wearing off.

"Uh huh," the other woman arches a disbelieving eyebrow at her friend and neighbor. "You know, if you were sick, you could've just put off taking the boys to the park," she states.

"I was fine this morning," the brunette lies.

"As a doctor, you should've known better than to go around riding your bike when you're sick," Ann goes on to lecture motherly, ignoring the obvious lie.

"Doctors make the worst patients," Remy grins smartly.

Ann simply smirks in response. "Well, at least it's the weekend and you don't have to worry about going anywhere until Monday," she optimistically reminds her. Remy's face drops as she realizes that now she _**definitely**_ can't go on a date with Allison tonight. "Wait. You _**actually **_had plans? _**You**_?" She asks incredulously.

"I have a date tonight…Rather, _**had**_," she sighs despondently, trying to old back another wave of coughing.

"Go Dr. Hadley!" Ann cheers with a light chuckle. "Who is it? I don't remember you mentioning anyone that you were interested in," she muses, going over all of their recent gossip and not recalling the other woman confessing any crushes.

"Another doctor from work and, actually, _**she **_asked _**me **_out," Remy points out.

"It was only a matter of time before something like that happened," Ann grins as she stacks up a bunch of pillows at the end of the couch and pats them to signal that Remy should place her sprained ankle on the top.

"Tonight we were supposed to have our first date," the brunette sighs as she follows the other woman's instructions and carefully swings her body around to place her foot on the stack of pillows. "I'd hate to have to postpone it."

"I'm sure she'll be more than understanding," Ann replies confidently. "Do you have an icepack or something?" She then asks, completely changing the subject as she notes how swollen and purple the ankle has turned.

"Uh…No, I don't," Remy replies after taking a moment to think about it.

"That's okay. I had to get one back in December," Ann begins and then sees the confused expression on the other woman's face. "You remember. Paul was hanging Christmas lights and got tangled up in them. He fell over and sprained his wrist when he used it to keep from landing on his face," she recalls the incident.

The brunette chuckles as she remembers the fiasco. "Yeah, you called me over at 2:00am to check and make sure that it wasn't broken," she smiles.

"I'll go get that. I'll be right back," the slightly older woman announces before disappearing.

Remy gets up unsteadily so that she can go to her room to get changed and grab her cell phone, cough syrup and some tissues. On her way back to the living room, she has difficulty using the wall to keep from falling over and juggling everything in her arms.

"You calling your dad?" The blonde neighbor asks as she notices the cell phone in the other woman's hand.

"Yeah. I'm going to see if he can watch her for the weekend so that she doesn't get sick again," the doctor confirms. "Then I have to call and cancel on Dr. Cameron," she adds softly a moment later.

"Dr. Cameron? Your date?" Ann questions, her eyebrows scrunched up in thought. Remy just nods in response. "You guys don't all go around calling each other by your last names do you?…Because that would be just plain weird," she inquires.

The brunette laughs. "No. It's just a habit."

"Let me go back and get those kids something to eat before they destroy the house," Ann smiles as she hands Remy the icepack for her ankle. "I'll send Lexi back over when she's done."

"Thanks. I owe you."

"You know it's no problem," the other woman smirks repeating the doctor's words from the ER earlier in the week. With a small wave, she exits the apartment.

With a sigh, Remy flips open her cell phone and hits speed dial 1. After two rings, the phone picks up.

"Hey Kiddo," Richard greets his daughter.

"Hey Dad."

"You sound like crap," her father bluntly states.

"I got Alex's cold," the dark-haired woman admits. "Would you mind horribly if I asked you to take her for the rest of the weekend so she doesn't get sick again?" She asks reluctantly.

"No, of course not! You know I love having her," he informs his daughter honestly. "I'll be by to get her in an hour. Is that okay?"

"That would be great," a relieved Remy sighs. There is a short pause.

"Does this mean that you have to cancel your date?"

"I'll see if we can reschedule for next weekend or something," she mumbles before being thrown into a coughing fit.

"I hope it works out. Feel better Pumpkin," Richard says sympathetically.

"See you soon Dad. Bye." They hang up their respective phones. Remy searches through her contacts for a moment before selecting the one she was looking for.

"Hello?" A tentative voice asks from the other end.

"Allison? It's Remy," the brunette answers.

"You sound awful," Cameron replies. "Are you okay?"

"Alex got me sick," Thirteen informs her regretfully.

"Oh. I guess we'll have to reschedule," Allison replies, disappointment evident in her tone.

"I'm sor-" Remy cuts herself off cut a series of coughs. "Ow," she grimaces as she jars her ankle once more.

"Are you okay?" The concerned blonde asks.

Thirteen blushes in embarrassment. "Well, I also happened to sprain my ankle too," she begrudgingly admits. It would be pointless not to…she'd be bound to notice her limping through the hospital on Monday.

"How'd you manage that?" A confused Allison wonders.

"Alex, the boys and I were riding our bikes and-"

"What the hell were you riding your bike for if you were sick?!" The other woman cut her off, wondering what the brunette could've been thinking. _She's a doctor. She should've known better._

"Trust me, I learned my lesson," Remy rolls her eyes at herself. "We were riding down the sidewalk on our way home and…I sneezed."

"Yeah, I sprain my ankle every time I sneeze too," is the blonde's snarky response.

Hadley smirks. "It made me lose control of the bike, ride off the curb into a parked car and bail onto my left ankle." There is a slight pause on the other end of the phone before Allison begins to laugh hysterically.

"Wow," the other doctor gasps out. "That's just…Are you okay?" She finally asks.

"I'm touched by your concern," is the brief sarcastic reply. "I'll be okay though. Dad is coming to pick up Alex and take her for the weekend so she doesn't get sick again."

"That's smart," Cameron nods, even though the other woman can't see it.

"Look, I'm sorry that I had to cancel our plans for tonight," Remy sighs, feeling slightly guilty.

"Don't worry about it. It's was out of your control…Except for the ankle. Tat was totally your fault and could have been avoided," she finishes good-naturedly. "Maybe next weekend then…If you're feeling better?" She timidly asks.

"Count on it," Hadley grins before turning her head to the side and nearly hacking out a lung.

"I'll let you get back to resting. Feel better Remy," the blonde says.

"I'll see you Monday," the other woman replies before they both hang up.

Thirteen sighs and leans her head back before she begins to cough again, this time harder and longer than before. When it settles down, she reaches over and takes a couple sips of the Dimetapp. She then pulls the blanket off of the back of the couch and snuggles under it before drifting off into a half-sleep.

--

Somewhere in the back of Remy's mind, she hears a faint pounding. She blows it off, thinking that it's just the pain in her head making itself known. The sound continues to permeate her consciousness, now with the addition of someone calling her name.

Cracking an eye open, she casts a tired eye on the clock on the DVD player. Thirteen, still groggy from the cough medicine, now recognizes the pounding as coming from the door to the apartment. _Who the hell could possibly be pounding on the door at 6:30 in the evening? Everyone who would be here knows I'm sick. All three of them. Maybe the pounding in my head is bothering them. _She idly thinks before swinging her legs off the side of the couch.

"Shit!" Remy curses loudly as she puts weight on her injured ankle, having forgot in her current state.

"Are you okay?" The person on the other side of the door calls out, pausing their incessant knocking.

"Yeah," Hadley grumbles to herself as she hobbles over to the door. She flips the lock, silently thanking her father for apparently locking it when he left with Alex earlier.

Opening the door slightly, Remy looks out and sees Cameron standing outside her door holding a brown bag uncomfortably.

"Hi," the blonde greets with a small, awkward smile.

"Uh, hi," Remy says back, perplexed as to why the other woman was standing in front of her door. "What's up?" She asks with a quirked eyebrow, her voice hoarse from her sore throat and all f her coughing.

"Nothing much," Cameron replies, inexplicably happy to see the younger woman, despite her looking as sick as she sounded over the phone.

"What's in the bag?" The curious woman finally asks, nodding her head to the bag cradled in her arms.

"This?" Allison questions slyly, indicating the bag. Remy nods obviously. "_**This**_ is our date," she grins cheekily.

The brunette furrows her brow in confusion, but moves away from the door to allow the other woman in nonetheless.

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So, I don't know if I'll be able to have the next chapter up by Monday or not. I'm going to try, but it'll probably be more like Tuesday. I haven't even started on chapter eight yet and while not usually a problem, I also need to work on chapter fourteen of **Taking the Long Way** for _The O.C._

Also, after her story to make Brian feel better in chapter two, don't you like how I made her run into another parked car? _**I**_ laughed, but I am a little biased. Next chapter will definitely have plenty of Cadley and, probably, a lot of fluff too. Let me know what you think.


	8. First Date

Hooray! I loved you guys' reviews. I'm glad so many people are enjoying this.

**A/N**: I know, I suck for making you guys wait so long for an update. Between typing out a report for my mom's work, getting all of my shit together for my classes starting up again next week and all of my shit at work, it hasn't left me a lot of time to write.

**A/N2**: Also, this chapter is a little short. It seemed like the best place to end it so that it wouldn't have any awkward breaks in it.

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**Chapter Eight- First Date**

Allison steps into the semi-dark apartment and allows herself a moment to take it all in. The apartment is spacious and surprisingly clean considering that a single mom and a seven year old girl live here. Her musings are cut short when she notices a decidedly uncomfortable Thirteen awkwardly leaning on the doorframe.

"Let me help you get back to the couch," the blonde immediately offers once she sets down the bag.

"No. Don't worry about it, I'm-" Remy cuts herself off as she takes a painful step on her left foot. "Okay," she relents sheepishly.

Without further invitation, Allison walks over and slings the brunette's left arm over her shoulder. Cameron then wraps her right arm around the younger woman's waist as she helps guide her over to the couch. She then helps her get readjusted and comfortable on the couch. Something then catches the blonde's eye on the coffee table.

"What's wrong?" Remy asks with a sniffle as she notices the strange look on the older woman's face.

"Are you taking children's cough medicine?" Allison wonders with equal parts amusement and confusion as she spots the Dimetapp on the table.

Thirteen follows her gaze and smirks slightly. "If it was meant only for kids, then why does it have dosing information for adults on the back?" She questions rhetorically.

Furrowing her brow, Cameron reaches over and picks up the bottle. She scans the back label and, sure enough, finds adult dosing information. "Well, I'll be damned," she mumbles to herself.

"Lexi didn't have a problem taking it and, I must admit, the taste of it didn't make me want to gag," the brunette confesses as she snuggles into the couch. Cameron gives her a warm smile at the mention of the seven year old. "So are you going to tell me what's in the bag?" She then asks before being thrown into a coughing fit.

Allison rolls her eyes good-naturedly. "Impatient much?" She chuckles before going to retrieve the bag. "Okay, so, it's kind of lame…but you're sick and that pretty much eliminates 90 percent of all the things to do on a first date…" she trails off sheepishly.

"We could've rescheduled. I didn't want to put you out or anything," Remy is quick to cut in.

"I know, but I really just wanted to spend time with you," the blonde shyly admits as she tugs at a loose string on her shirt and sitting down on the coffee table so tha she can look closely at the brunette's face.

Remy reaches over as best she can to brush her fingers lightly against the older doctor's hand. "I'm glad you came over. If you weren't here, I'd be stuck watching _My Life As a Teenage Meth Addict: A True Story_ on Lifetime," she replies in a grave toe of voice as she gestures to the T.V. where a 30 year old woman is playing a teenage girl and crying melodramatically in her bedroom.

Cameron cannot help but laugh. "Well, I'm glad that I decided to rescue you from this hell," she smiles, pulling out a couple of DVDs from the bag. Remy's interest is definitely piqued as she reaches out to take them off of the blonde's hands to look through.

"I also brought over some chicken noodle soup," the blonde announces, pulling out a plastic container of soup, earning an odd look from the other woman. "Don't give me that look. Chicken noodle soup is tradition," she says firmly.

Hadley just chuckles fondly. "Of course," she smiles, amused and comforted by the older doctor's presence.

"And, of course, ginger ale," Cameron finishes as she pulls a two liter bottle out of the bag with a flourish. Remy offers a half-smile. "I don't know about you, but it always helped me feel better when I was sick," she murmurs self-consciously to herself.

Hadley reaches over and places a gentle hand on the blonde's knee "Thank you" she whispers sincerely, touched by the other woman's show of concern.

Allison offers a small smile. "So, which one do you want me to put in?" She asks, nodding towards the DVDs in the other woman's hands.

Remy looks back down at the movies and looks through the titles, smirking at how diverse the selection is. _Saw_. _Home Alone_. _The Lion King_. She chuckles and hands the blonde one of the movies on the bottom of the stack.

"Figures you'd pick the one that always makes me cry," Cameron rolls her eyes with a soft smile. She takes the DVD and puts it in.

"You cry during this?" A disbelieving Hadley questions with a quirked eyebrow.

"You know, near the end with Ruth and Idgie are in the room, right before-"

"Don't ruin the ending for me," Remy cuts in before the other woman could finis her sentence.

"You've never seen _Fried Green Tomatoes_?!" The incredulous blonde all but shouts.

The other woman merely shakes her head. "No, not really. I've heard it was good, but never really had the time to get around to seeing it," she shrugs.

"Well, now you do," Allison grins as she walks back over to the couch. She takes a seat at the end and lifts Remy's feet up. When she sits back down, she places a pillow on her lap and the brunette's feet on the pillow to keep her ankle elevated.

Remy shoots Cameron a warm a grateful smile, one that is easily returned. The older woman hits play on the remote and they turn their attention to the screen in front of them.

--

Several hours later both women are still in their same positions on the couch. As earlier predicted, Cameron cried at the end of the movie and Remy tried to hide the few traitorous tears that escaped. With the T.V. still on and the volume on low, they continue to simply talk.

"I can't believe you have CNN recorded on your DVR," Cameron laughs mirthfully.

Remy rolls her eyes with feigned annoyance. "Believe it."

"Oh, come on. Don't be like that. I mean, really, _**who**_ records CNN?" She asks rhetorically.

"Plenty of people I'm sure," the brunette mumbles defensively.

"I keep seeing eccentric old men and paranoid schizophrenics looking for 'hidden messages' in the scroll at the bottom."

"Ha ha," the other woman deadpans even though she knows that it's an odd habit of hers. "I just like to know what's going on. That's all," she briefly explains.

Cameron studies her for a moment before an odd expression overcomes her face. "You're not a paranoid schizophrenic…are you?" She asks with a tone of mock-realization.

The result is Remy breaking into laughter before being launched into a coughing fit. In an effort to be of some comfort, Allison holds the brunette's left leg to prevent it from jarring her sprained ankle and causing more pain.

Once the coughing has stopped, Hadley looks intently at the other woman for several moments. Cameron shifts slightly, uncomfortable under the unwavering gaze.

"Thank you Ally," Remy finally says after the short stretch of silence.

"It was nothing. I mean I can't have you making your foot even worse," is the nervous response.

"Not just for that, but for everything," the brunette notices the lost look on the other woman's face. "I mean for coming over and bringing movies and soup and for keeping me company even though I'm probably pretty bad company myself right now," she further explains.

"You're not bad company at all. I like spending time with you…even if you are all gross and sick," Cameron slyly adds the last part in with a smirk.

"Thanks," Thirteen replies sarcastically, smiling nonetheless.

Allison releases a yawn and glances over at the clock on the DVD player. "I should probably get going," she says with resignation before making as if to get up.

Remy quickly sits up, ignoring the slight throbbing in her head at the sudden movement. "Stay?" She asks quietly, placing a hand gently on the other woman's forearm.

Cameron looks at her, torn as to whether or not to stay. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't think it would be a good idea with you still being sick and everything," she mumbles, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks.

A small smile graces Thirteen's lips at the blonde's words and what she is implying. "Not to do anything, just to sleep. It's late and you're tired. We don't need you trying to drive home when your half-asleep. You'll get into an accident and then, since you aren't at work, no one good will be in the ER," she smirks.

"Oh," Cameron releases an embarrassed chuckle. "That makes sense I guess," she allows. "I'll get you to bed and take the couch," she says after a moment.

Hadley merely scoffs. "I've been laying on this couch all day completely sick. You take the bed, I'll be fine here," she assures the older woman.

"I'm not going to take your bed. The couch is fine for me," the blonde argues.

"It's not like I'm going to be sleeping in it tonight," Remy points out. Allison stares her down for a moment. "Okay fine," she relents, not feeling up to arguing about it.

"Good," Cameron grins with a satisfied nod. She carefully gets up, making sure that she doesn't jar the other woman's injured ankle. "Which room is it?" She asks, glancing briefly down the hallway.

"Second on the left. Why are you-"

"I'll be right back," the blonde interrupts before disappearing out of view.

Remy simply lays in the living room with a soft smile on her face at the other woman's caring nature. She sits up slightly and carefully move her legs to the floor, trying not to cause too much pain. Despite her best effort, she hisses in pain as her left ankle painfully makes contact with the floor. "Ow," she grumbles to herself as she tries to stand.

"Would it have been so hard to have waited for a minute and a half?" Allison asks rhetorically as she stands in the hallway watching the other woman struggling to stand.

"Uh, yes?" Thirteen guesses sheepishly.

Cameron shakes her head slightly as she approaches the couch, trying to not smile. "Let's get you to bed," she says, offering a hand to the younger doctor.

Hadley takes her hand and allows herself to be pulled up. Allison takes Remy's left arm and drapes it over her shoulder and wraps her right arm around the brunette's waist for leverage. Together, they manage to get to the bedroom. While out of the room, it seems as though the blonde pulled down the covers and placed several pillows at the end of the bed to help elevate Remy's sprained ankle.

Once the younger woman is in bed, Cameron helps to get her comfortable and prop up her foot on the pillows. She pulls the blankets back up and smiles down at the brunette.

Remy takes one of Cameron's hands in her own. "Thank you again," she softly says for the second time tonight, not looking up from their entwined fingers.

"Your welcome again," Allison smiles as she reaches up to brush a loose strand of hair off of the sick woman's face. "Do you need anything?" She wonders, hoping to make herself feel useful.

"No," is the quiet reply. Thirteen glances back up, meeting the concerned gaze of the blonde.

"Sleep good then," Cameron says in a near-whisper. She hesitates for a moment before leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Remy closes her eyes at the contact. When she opens them back up, she sees the warm expression on the older woman's face and offers a smile of her own. "You too," she simply replies.

Cameron makes her way to the door, pausing at the threshold. "Feel better," she wishes before exiting the room altogether and going back to the living room to sleep on the couch.

--

The next morning, Thirteen groggily cracks her eyes open. She quickly clenches them shut at the light painfully streaming into her room. _Damn sun_. Taking a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to the light, she opens them up once again.

Hearing some rustling noises coming from the living room, she decides to get up to investigate. Mindful of her foot, she gingerly sets her weight down on the right foot first before hobbling over to the door. She makes her way into the living room to see Allison packing up the DVDs from the night before.

"You weren't planning on leaving without saying goodbye, were you?" Remy wonders, her voice still raw from sleep and her cold as she uses the doorframe as a crutch.

A startled Cameron jumps slightly as she turns to face the other woman with a sheepish smile. "I though about waking you up, but I figured that you could use the rest," she remarks with a smile.

The brunette nods, still leaning against the doorway. "Did you sleep okay?" She asks, gesturing towards the couch.

"I did actually. What about you? Are you feeling any better?" Cameron inquires with worry.

Thirteen takes a moment to assess how she actually feels. _Throat? Still a little sore. Cough? Not nearly as bad as before. Nose? Still runny, but not nearly as disgusting as it was yesterday. Ankle? Hurts like a bitch. _"Yeah. A little bit," she answers after a moment.

"Glad to hear it," Allison beams. She walks over to the brunette and tucks a strand of hair behind the other woman's ear. "So…" she trails off, her fingers still on the other doctor's face.

"So…" Remy repeats with a soft smile, her eyes fluttering closed at the contact.

"Do you need anything before I leave?" Cameron asks after a moment, trying to resist the urge to kiss the other woman.

"Can't think of anything," Hadley shrugs awkwardly.

"Then, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Cameron says unsurely, sounding more like a question, not sure if the brunette was planning on coming to work or not.

"Yeah," Remy confirms with a nod.

Allison reluctantly leaves the other woman's immediate vicinity as she grabs her stuff and moves towards the door. "I had fun last night," she comments on their date with a soft smile.

"You did?" A skeptical Thirteen questions.

"Yeah. I got to spend time with you, didn't I?" Allison rhetorically asks with a sincere grin.

It's Remy's turn to blush at he compliment. "Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow," she replies.

With a parting smile, Cameron is gone. Hadley limps over to the couch and drops down on it, mindful of her ankle. A blissful smile crosses her face. _I __**really**__ like her._ She giggles at how middle school that sounded in her head, but she decides that she doesn't care.

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So what'd you think of the first date? I know its short, but it seemed like an appropriate place to end it. And, bonus! No cliffhanger! Aren't you happy?


	9. Sorry I'm Late

I got a few less reviews for the last chapter. I certainly hope you guys are still enjoying this.

**A/N**: I know that it has taken me ten shades of forever to update and I am **_so_** very sorry. My laptop died an untimely death and I had to get a new one.

**A/N2**: Also, someone mentioned something about Thirteen's real name being 'Rena', I don't know if that's true or not, but I am going to keep referring to her as 'Remy' for continuity purposes. I am too lazy to find out on my own and I am too lazy to go back and change it in all previous chapters

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**Chapter Nine- Sorry I'm Late**

Remy is running later than usual. Since her dad gave Alexis a ride to school, she allowed herself to sleep in a little longer. Unfortunately, she didn't account for the drug-induced lethargy from the cough medicine she took last night. By the time she got out the door, it was already 7:45 am. To make matters worse, her ankle is slowing her down even further. She's just happy that Ann was able to lend her a set of crutches from when she broke her leg last summer.

The brunette limps her way into the hospital. She takes a detour to take the elevator close to the ER in hopes of seeing a certain blonde doctor. Taking a quick scan of the area, Remy frowns as she doesn't spot the other woman anywhere.

"Walking around on crutches like that, the nurses are bound to start mistaking you for a patient," someone quips from behind the injured doctor.

A smile makes its way to the young doctor's face as she turns to see a familiar blonde standing behind her. "Well, then maybe I'll finally be able to get the _**good **_drugs," she smirks in response.

"Don't let House hear you say that…He'll think you're horning in on his territory," Allison whispers in a mock-conspiratorial tone.

Remy simply laughs in response before adopting a fond expression. "Hi," she greets softly.

"Hi yourself," the blonde replies, biting her bottom lip in thought. "Are you feeling any better?" She finally asks.

"I've been better, but I didn't want to risk taking any cough medicine this morning and screw up something," Hadley shrugs in response.

"What about your ankle?"

"Hurts like a bitch," is the easy answer. "So, Dr. Cameron, how are _**you**_ feeling this morning?" She asks back, a small smile making its way onto her face.

"Pretty good, actually," the older woman says.

"Why's that?" Remy questions as she arches an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Because I got to see you," she answers obviously.

"That is so corny," Thirteen retorts, grinning nonetheless.

Cameron casts a worried glance to the clock on the far wall. "Shouldn't you be going?" She hesitantly asks, reluctant to let the other woman leave.

Remy follows her gaze to the clock and releases a disappointed sigh. "Yes," she breathes out irritably. "But I'd much rather stay down here with you, House can wait," she adds mischievously.

"Have you met House?" Cameron asks rhetorically. "He'll get curious, come down here and start to harass us _**both**_," she points out.

"So, you'd rather me go to him and have him just harass _**me**_?" Hadley wonders aloud with feigned anger.

"Better you than me," is the cheeky reply. "Besides, it's for the greater good," the blonde tries again.

Remy rolls her eyes good-naturedly. "Fine," she relents, trying to sound incredibly put off, but doesn't quite pull it off with a smile tugging at her lips. "Meet you for lunch?" She shyly asks after a moment of deliberation.

"I'd like that," Allison smiles. She pauses for a moment. "Did you want me to walk up with you? I don't want you to get hurt or anything getting upstairs," she offers softly, placing a her right hand on the brunette's left forearm.

Thirteen looks down at the contact. "I'm sure I'll be fine. There probably won't be many parked cars for me to run into on the way to the elevator," she smirks.

Cameron releases a short burst of laughter at the unexpected remark. "I don't imagine that there would be," she states with a grin before turning serious once more. "But are you sure? I really wouldn't mind," she offers once more.

Remy takes a moment to seriously consider it before taking a look around her in the ER. "I'll be okay. You have plenty of real patients to worry about. I can handle myself just fine," she answers thoughtfully. "But thank you for the offer," she smiles warmly.

"Alright then, I guess I'll see you at lunch," she replies, an equally happy expression crossing her face.

"See you then," Remy lingers for a moment before finally turning and limping off towards the elevators, already 15 minutes late for work.

Cameron unabashedly watches the other woman disappear from the ER, a pleasant grin plastered across her face. _How is it that she can be sick as hell and be limping around on crutches and __**still**__ be hot as hell?_ She wonders idly as the woman in question turns the corner, no longer visible.

"Penny for your thoughts?" A voice startles the blonde out of her reverie.

Cameron turns to look over at Dr. Cuddy. "I didn't hear you come up," she informs her.

"I noticed. So, you and Dr. Hadley seem awfully friendly," Cuddy notes with an arched eyebrow.

Allison blushes at the other woman's underlying suggestion. "What do you mean?" She coyly asks.

"Please," the dean scoffs. "I'm not nearly as oblivious as House would like to think that I am. I can tell by the way you two look at each other and how you touch...There's something going on there," she points out. "If you don't want to tell me about it, that's fine. I won't be like House and start trying to snoop to find out. But, if you _**do**_ want to talk, you know where to find me."

"Thank you," Cameron smiles sincerely.

--

Thirteen hobbles off of the elevator and makes her way down the hall. She hesitates briefly before opening the door to the Diagnostics Office and stepping in.

"What do you think you're doing coming in here like that?!" House growls at the brunette as she walks into the office.

"I'm sorry I'm late, but-"

"Not _**that**_," he brushes off her tardiness. "There can only be one cripple in here and I called dibs already," the older man states, gesturing to her foot with his cane.

Remy simply rolls her eyes and takes a seat, propping her injured foot up on an empty chair. "I sprained my ankle," she merely offers.

"Did that happen while you were on your date with Cameron? I was unaware that she liked it so rough," House muses to himself.

Thirteen neither confirms or denies, choosing to simply give him a blank stare instead.

"You and Cameron has sex?" Kutner wonders as he gives the dark haired woman a glazed expression, clearly envisioning the scene in his head.

"No," an irritable Hadley snaps back at him, clearly getting frustrated with being bothered so early in the morning.

"Of course they didn't Fool!" House reprimands Kutner as he slams his cane down on the table in front of the young man. Thirteen quirks a brow at her boss suddenly stepping in for her. "It's clearly her time of the month, so, of course there was no sex," he smirks, thus ending the budding fondness she felt growing for him.

"Isn't there a patient today?" Taub finally interjects, not out of any sense of chivalry, but just wanting to get down to business.

"Hey! It's Foreman's job to be the Destroyer of Fun, not yours," House whines.

--

"You broke Thirteen, didn't you?" Comes House's accusation.

The blonde ER turns around to shoot him a perplexed expression. "What are you talking about?" Cameron asks her former boss, confusion clearly written across her face.

"She's limping around, doing a stellar impression of yours truly and I want to know what you did to her," House complains.

"What makes you think that _**I**_ did that to her?" Allison asks, genuinely curious as to what gave him that idea.

"Was the sex that good?" He answers her question with one of his own.

"I don't have time for this House. Some of us actually have patients to attend to," she informs him pointedly.

"I have a patient," he waves off, not yet willing to let her off the hook so easily.

"Then get to it," Cameron tries shooing him off once more, to no avail.

"I also have four other people that can deal with it, so spill woman!" He attempts once more.

"I crashed my bike, House," an exasperated voice drifts over to the pair.

The older man turns around to see an aggravated Thirteen glaring at him, leaning heavily on one crutch. "What?"

"She. Crashed. Her. Bike," Cameron repeats slowly, mocking him.

He spares a caustic scowl before turning back to the newcomer in their conversation. "I didn't know you had a motorcycle," he warily replies, trying to picture her on the back of a Harley or Honda or-

"BMX," Hadley unintentionally interrupts his thoughts by filling in the blank.

House glances between the two women, who can't seem to keep their eyes off one another. "You guys are no fun," he laments briefly before turning his attention back to work-related matters. "Don't you have a patient to fix?"

"Foreman and Kutner went to Mr. Alton's apartment and Taub is running blood tests as we speak," Hadley replies.

"Well, what are _**you **_doing?" He challenges, questioning her presence in the ER, knowing it has something to do with a certain bleach-blonde doctor.

"I just finished running a CT scan and MRI. I was on my way to go get some air when I saw you harassing Al…Cameron," she explains, correcting herself at the end when she noticed the grimace on House's face when she almost said the other woman's first name.

"Air, huh?" The skeptical older man inquires, arching a brow as he does so.

"Yeah," is the obvious reply as Remy nods toward the glass door 50 feet away from where they stand.

"Are you feeling okay?" Cameron questions as she approaches the dark haired woman.

Thirteen half-heartedly bats the other woman's hand away as she attempts to feel her forehead to see if she is still running a temperature. "I'll be okay," Remy assures her with a soft smile.

"I _**am**_ still standing here you know?" House interrupts, hating that he is being ignored by the two women.

"We were trying to forget," Allison shoots back at the older man, wanting him to simply disappear for now. Remy merely smirks.

"Whatever," he grumbles before walking away.

"So, I was thinking that, this weekend, we could-"

"Dr. Hadley, I thought you had a patient, what are you doing in the ER?" Another voice cuts in before Cameron could finish her sentence.

"We're waiting for blood work. I was just on my way outside to get some air," Remy informs the newly arrived Cuddy.

The dean glances between the two doctors, noting how close they are standing and the shy smiles they seem to share. "I'm sure," the older woman smiles knowingly before walking off towards her office.

"Are we really that obvious?" A curious Thirteen inquires as she watches the dean walk off as she refers to their interactions with the last two people they encountered: House and Cuddy.

"Apparently," Allison muses in response before turning her attention back to the brunette doctor before her.

--

Remy once again finds herself lost in thought as she and the team sit in the Diagnostics Office going over the patient's test results. She knows that she really should be paying attention for the sake of the patient, but she can't really seem to drag her mind away from Allison.

"How about divulging the lesbian fantasies involving you and Cameron?" House asks Thirteen as he slams his cane down on the table in front of the unsuspecting brunette.

"What?!" A perplexed Hadley questions as she blinks rapidly for several moments as she tries to find why he brought that question up.

"You're staring off into space with a goofy expression on your face and it's disturbing. Knock it off and pay attention…Unless you want to share with the class," he tries again at the end, batting his eyelashes innocently in an attempt to hear the other woman's sordid fantasies.

"What were we talking about then?" She asks, trying to get back on topic.

"_Wizard of Oz _memorabilia," Taub helpfully supplies.

"You guys found _Wizard of Oz_ memorabilia in the patient's apartment?" Thirteen attempts to clarify, wondering why this is important.

"No. House was trying to find out if he got a good deal on a genuine replica of a ruby slipper he bought on eBay," Kutner informs her.

"Oh. Okay," she shrugs off easily.

"That's it?" House questions her incredulously.

"Huh?" She arches an eyebrow at the question/

"Just 'Oh. Okay'? You aren't going to go into some long-winded platitude about how that isn't 'medically relevant' and that we are wasting time by talking about my childishness?" He challenges, obviously mocking her.

"I wasn't planning on it. I kind of don't even have to now because you already did," she points out.

House eyes her warily. "You aren't any fun when you aren't arguing with me," he whines.

"You'll get over it. Go make Kutner cry again or something," she suggests idly.

"Hey!" The other doctor barks out, offended that she thinks he is so easily upset. Thirteen shoots him a glare and he shrinks back, unwittingly proving her point.

--

"Hey Sweetheart. Are you feeling better?" Richard greets his daughter as he ushers her into the house.

"Yeah, thanks," Remy smiles. "Where's Alex?"

"She'll be out in a minute, she's just getting her stuff together," he informs her. "I'm sorry that you had to cancel your date with Dr. Cameron the other day," he expresses regretfully.

At the memory of Saturday night, Thirteen actually smiles thoughtfully. "She came over anyways."

"She did? Really?" He wonders skeptically.

"Yeah. She brought movies and soup. She just kept me company. It was…nice," the brunette confesses softly.

"I'm glad to see that you really seem to like her. Alex can't stop talking about her either, she'll be glad to hear that you two still had a date…sort of," Richard states, the last part sounding somewhat confused.

"Really?!" An excited voice exclaims from behind the pair.

Remy turns to face her daughter, a warm smile firmly in place. "Hey Baby. Did you behave for Grandpa?" She asks the young girl.

"Yes Mom," Alex rolls her eyes. "Did you and Dr. Cameron still go out on a date?" The blonde girl asks again.

"Sort of, yes," is the reply, earning a frown from the seven-year old. "Is something wrong?" The brunette woman questions, concerned. _She hasn't changed her mind about Cameron, has she?_ Thirteen frets.

"You shouldn't have been out while you were sick," the girl answers. "You should know better," she adds.

Hadley merely smirks at her daughter's concern. "She came over to the apartment and spent time with me there," she corrects the girl.

"Did she spend the night?" Alex inquires suspiciously.

"Yes, but she slept on the couch…alone," Remy explains herself.

The little girl's face falls. "That's too bad."

"Huh?" A very confused Remy wonders.

"I overheard Grandpa on the phone last week telling someone that you needed to 'get some action'," Alex answers honestly.

Thirteen nearly gives herself whiplash as she turns her attention back on her father. "Who were you telling that to and why were you doing it in front of my daughter?" She growls out, sending him a withering glare.

"I didn't know she was there. I promise," Richard states firmly. "And, I was talking to Angela," he quietly admits.

"I can't believe you were having that particular conversation with Olivia's mom," Remy practically whines.

"Well, _**she's **_the one that brought it up and she tends to agree with Alex and me," he justifies himself.

"Okay Alexis. I think it's time to get going now," Thirteen quickly says as she grabs her daughter's hand and makes her way to the door.

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Just so you know, there is more drama to come. Don't forget that Thirteen still hasn't explained Alexis' father. I also have to make the obligatory reference to her dead mother. Thirteen also has to tell Cameron that she has Huntington's. Remember, Cameron already knows, but Thirteen doesn't know that yet. All of this possibly in the next chapter.

Also, just a little FYI, I was kind of (very!) drunk when I wrote most of this chapter. I had to run Spell Check twice to make sure I had everything okay. If it sucks, that's why.

There is going to be more Cadley to come…eventually. I think, to avoid confusion, Cuddy/Hadley should be called Cuddley…because that is cute. Oh, and I have too much time to think of these things.

With school back up, I didn't realize how much of a loser I was until I found that I spent most of my time in front of the computer writing fan fiction. But, the chapters will be a bit slower going…I am aiming for at least one chapter a week, but it is subject to change.


	10. You Broke Her

Yay! Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and, once again, thank you for being patient while I was trying to update the last chapter.

**A/N**: Glad to know that my drunken writing wasn't so horrible. Once I went back to look it over once it was posted I found that it wasn't too bad after all…a few typos, but that's about it.

**A/N2**: I'm sorry that this one took so long. I had three exams this week, another one next week, and two papers to write by the end of the month. It's been a little hectic, but I promise to try and get better with the updates.

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**Chapter Ten- You Broke Her**

Friday afternoon finds Cameron in the ER, as per usual. She is writing out a prescription for a patient and finding it very hard to remove the soft smile from her face as she hands the slip of paper over to the middle aged woman before her.

"There you go Ms. Hansen. This should do the trick," Allison informs the woman kindly.

"Thank you very much Dr. Cameron," Ms. Hansen smiles before exiting the exam room, closely followed by the blonde doctor.

"You broke Thirteen," a male voice accuses from behind her.

"Didn't we have this conversation earlier this week?" Allison questions with a sigh. "No, I did not cause her to sprain her ankle during sex because we-"

"Not that," House brushes her off.

"Then what are you talking about? I have patients to get to," an exasperated Cameron replies.

"She's acting all…weird," the older man explains vaguely. "Thirteen is being all…nice," he says with distaste.

"Nice?" The blonde inquires, wondering why this is cause for concern.

"Yeah. I have been calling her Huntington's, Lesbian, Thirty-One, and Hot Mama all week and she hasn't even flinched. I think she might have even smiled at me about it a couple of times."

Allison arches an eyebrow. "**_Okaaaay_**," she draws out curiously.

"She hasn't called me selfish or childish since last week. She won't morph into a rabid bitch and tell me to grow up when I start talking about things that aren't 'medically relevant'. She let me talk about _Wizard of _Oz memorabilia without so much as a scoff or eye roll. You had to have done _**something **_to her," House whines pathetically.

"She's fine House," the blonde smirks at her former boss.

"Well, if you didn't do anything, then it must be a brain tumor," he mumbles to himself.

"What?" An appalled Cameron barks out.

"It explains the personality shift and uncharacteristic behavior…Not to mention the sudden interest in _**you**_," he shoots over at the blonde, earning himself a glare. "I'm going to get an MRI done on her."

"I'm sure she'll be all over _**that **_idea," Cameron sarcastically replies with amusement.

"With as passive as she's been these last few days, I wouldn't doubt it. Besides, if that doesn't work, I can always drug her and do it anyways," he mumbles.

"You can't drug her!"

"She did it to me so that she could biopsy my organs after that blood transfusion," he answers with a quirked eyebrow.

"That was to try and save a patient."

"But this could save a doctor."

"She doesn't have a brain tumor. Maybe she's just, I don't know…happy?" Cameron asks rhetorically.

"Please," House scoffs with an eye roll.

Allison sighs and rubs her eyes. "Get out of here House," she sighs in annoyance before turning and walking off, completely frustrated with the older doctor.

--

"We need to do an MRI on you," House announces as he walks back into the Diagnostics Office upstairs.

Thirteen quirks an eyebrow in response. "We do?" She asks in amusement.

"Yeah."

"Why do I need an MRI?"

"I think you may have a brain tumor," House informs her easily. Remy actually chuckles at the suggestion. "This is no laughing matter," he chastises.

"Aren't you missing _Passions _right now?" She questions him seriously.

The older man glances at the clock out of the corner of his eye. He narrows his eyes at her. "This conversation isn't over," he grumbles before turning and exiting the room with a flourish.

Hadley smirks as she turns back to the guys in the room. "So, back to the patient. I think that Ms. Argento's hemorrhaging could be from-"

"House just said you had a brain tumor," Kutner blurts out.

"I know. I was there, remember?" Remy asks rhetorically, wanting to get back on track before their boss interrupted them.

"Yeah, but-"

"Let's just get back to the patient," Foreman butts in.

"So…A parasite?" Taub guesses as he reads the charts over again.

"You think House is a parasite?!" Kutner shouts incredulously. The other three doctors shoot him an aggravated look. "Right. The patient. Shutting up now."

--

Finally having some down time, Remy decides to take a coffee break in the lounge. As she is adding the sugar to her Styrofoam cup, House saunters in.

"Did she brain-wash you?" He asks her suspiciously. "You can tell me if she did."

Thirteen groans at the accusation. "No. She did not brain-wash me House. I just…like her," she confesses.

"Ew," House grimaces at the confession. "I think the two of you should break up now," he says, sounding suspiciously like an order.

"Yeah, okay," Remy replies sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she does so.

"I'm serious."

Hadley watches him for a moment. "Okay, I'll bite. Why should we break up, House?" She asks him with amusement evident in her tone.

"Because you're boring now. You don't fight back and you haven't gone into any long speeches out how I'm being childish or how I am being insensitive. You've been too busy daydreaming and being, in general, all googly-eyed over Cameron and, quite frankly, it makes me throw up a little in my mouth every time I see you two together," he informs her honestly.

"So, I need to break up with her because I am not yelling at you and it makes you sick when others aren't as miserable as you are?" She questions, trying to make sure that she has it all straight.

"Exactly!" House grins triumphantly. "I knew you'd see it my-"

"No," she cuts him off.

"What?" He asks, thoroughly deflated.

"I am not going to break up with her just because you asked me to. We like each other and it doesn't have anything to do with you or-"

"It does concern me if it interferes with your work," House interrupts harshly.

"It isn't interfering with my work," Thirteen denies in confusion.

"When the brightest member of my team is off in her own little world while the rest of us are trying to save a person's life, I call that 'interfering'. Foreman tries to keep me on task while Kutner and Taub tend to suck up. But, I know that you are not going to just blindly follow. I count on you to challenge me so that we can really get to the bottom of a case," he answers honestly.

Remy stands before him, stunned at how open he just was. "I understand…but I'm not breaking up with her. I'll do a better job at paying attention and being a bitch," she compromises.

House grins. "That's all I ask Lesbo," he retorts lightly as he throws an arm playfully over her shoulders.

Remy pulls a face as she removes his arm from her shoulders. "I am _**not**_ a Lesb-"

"You're back!" He happily declares. "I was _**so **_worried," he grins as he wraps his arms around her in an awkward hug.

"Very funny," she deadpans, pulling away from the embrace.

"So, how about you and Kutner go break into Ms. Harper's home and see what you can come up with?" House grins before walking away, satisfied with the outcome of the conversation.

Hadley watches him limp out of the room, shaking her head and smiling at his antics. She then hobbles off to find Kutner so that they could get the keys to the patient's home.

--

"So, you and Cameron, huh?" Kutner asks as he goes through the patient's dresser drawers.

"Yeah," Remy replies, small smile ghosting across her features at the mention of the other woman.

"When did that happen? _**How**_ did that happen?" He inquires, almost completely abandoning his search.

Pausing from her task of breaking through the password on the patient's computer, Hadley looks up at the other man. "It just…did," she explains briefly before looking back down at the screen.

"That just explains it all. You're so…detailed and concise. I totally understand now," Kutner snarks back, obviously expecting more.

Thirteen grins to herself as she cracks the code and pulls up the woman's email. _Her birthday…so simple. Breaking into people's computers, House must be rubbing off on me. Dammit. _She looks up at the other doctor with a sigh.

"She asked me out last week. I have the sneaking suspicion that House wanted her to spy on me or something," she informs him, mumbling the last part idly to herself as she searches on the computer for anything useful.

"You think House asked her to spy and you decided to go out with her anyways?" Kutner asks, walking over to her, any pretense of looking around completely abandoned.

Remy looks up at him briefly. "He found out what he wanted on his own and she was still interested, so I figured 'why not?'" She shrugs.

"So, are you guys like 'girlfriends' now or something?"

"I don't know what we are," is the honest reply. "We've only been on one date…kind of."

"How can you 'kind of' have a date?" The other doctor asks curiously.

"We were supposed to go out Saturday, but I was sick and I sprained my ankle. She came over anyways and we just watched movies and talked," Remy answers back, not in the mood to be evasive today.

"How did you sprain you ankle?" He wonders, taking full advantage of her rare display of openness.

"When I was riding my bike, I sneezed and…rode into a parked car," she grumbles the end of the sentence in hopes that he wouldn't hear.

No such luck. He burst into laughter, taking several minutes to regain his composure. Once he looks at her and her stern expression, her erupts once again.

"Seriously, why were you riding your bike while you were sick? I know you're not stupid," he inquires after finally getting control of himself.

"I promised my daughter and the neighbor's kids," she answers absently as she begins closing out the windows she brought up on the screen. She stops immediately once she realizes what she said.

"You have a daughter?" A stunned Kutner asks.

"Don't you _**dare**_ mention this to anyone else. Don't even let House know that you know this," Remy threatens, standing up to look him evenly in the eye.

"You mean, House already knows?"

"He found out last week when she was brought into the hospital with a high fever. If he finds out that someone else on the team knows, then he will bring it up all the time. So, seriously, keep your mouth shut," she all but growls out, hating herself for slipping up.

"I promise, I won't mention it to anyone," Kutner replies, holding up his right hand as if to swear on it. "Does Cameron know?"

Remy smiles slightly. "She was Alex's doctor when she was brought in. Allison found out when I went down to see her in the ER." Kutner smiles enigmatically at her. "What?" She frowns.

"You called her 'Allison'," he states.

Thirteen rolls her eyes and smiles at him. "I know, I know. Let's get back to the hospital and let House know what we found."

"What did we find?" Kutner asks, confused.

At this, Remy scowls at him. "Weren't you paying attention. I found out that Jessica Harper has been having the same blinding headaches for at least six months. It was in her emails to her sister in New Haven. We should probably get in contact with the sister to see if she has any other relevant information and go from there," she instructs as they make their way out to his car.

--

"Well?" House asks the team expectantly. The other four stare back blankly. "Don't you have any suggestions? Any thoughts at all?"

"You've already shot down anything we've suggested," Foreman points out.

"That's because your earlier suggestions were stupid. I'm ready for the good ones. Lay it on me," he answers back obviously.

"Uh…maybe it's psychosomatic," Kutner offers tentatively.

"You mean, it's all in her head?" House questions. Kutner nods. "So, she just imagined internal hemorrhaging?"

"Okay, maybe not," the other man mumbles.

"Lesbian, what about you? Anything going on upstairs?"

Thirteen glares irritably. "What do you expect from us, House? We've been running around all day-"

"Running?" He interrupts with a smirk, pointedly glancing at her sprained ankle.

"You know what I mean!" Remy snaps back at him.

"Well then, I suggest you guys get comfortable," House says.

"What are you talking about?" Taub inquires, finally contributing to the conversation.

"You guys aren't going anywhere tonight until you get a clue as to what's killing the patient," he grins.

"What?!" Remy shouts, enraged.

"Afraid to leave your-"

"House," she barks out, preventing him from finishing his sentence. "Fine. I just need to make call," she sighs, getting her cell phone out as she stands up.

"Say hi to Alexis for me," House requests cheekily.

Remy cringes to herself as she exits the room, leaving Taub and Foreman perplexed at House's statement. Kutner just appears uncomfortable.

Out in the hall, Remy hits her speed dial number 1. She waits patiently for the phone to pick up.

"Hey," Richard greets his daughter on the third ring.

"Hey," Remy echoes tiredly.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah…Well, no. We've kind of reached a dead end with our patient and House is making us stay here until we can get figure out something we can use to help her," Hadley replies honestly.

"So, you need me to keep her for the night?" He guesses with a smile.

"Please," she says, nearly ready to beg.

"Of course I will. Don't worry about her."

"Thanks Dad. Tell Alex that I love her and I'll see her tomorrow."

"Okay Sweetheart. Good luck," he says before hanging up his end of the line.

Remy sighs and flips her phone closed. She closes her eyes briefly before poking her head back in the office. "I'm taking a break," she notifies the guys.

"Get me a coffee while you're out," House says.

"Oh, me too," Kutner adds with an eager smile. Hadley just arches an eyebrow at the two men as if to say 'are you kidding'. "Or not," he mumbles.

"I'll still have one," House informs her.

"You know where it's at. Get it yourself," Thirteen replies before turning and leaving on her crutches. Foreman smirks and Kutner tries to stifle a chuckle.

--

Cameron decides to detour through the Doctor's Lounge before leaving the hospital. She finds Thirteen laying on the couch, sipping on the bitter hospital coffee and staring blankly at the television screen.

"Hey you," Allison greets the other woman, effectively breaking her out of her daze.

"I didn't hear you come in," Remy greets with a weak smile.

The blonde looks carefully at her for a moment, sensing something of with the younger woman. "Something on your mind?" She asks, deciding that the other woman isn't going to offer it up easily on her own.

"No, not really," Hadley shrugs nonchalantly. She notes the serious expression on the other doctor's face before sighing and leaning her back against the couch. "A little bit…maybe," she evades.

Cameron takes a seat next to the brunette and places a comforting hand on her arm. "Is everything okay? Is it something to do with Alex or your dad?" She inquires, clearly worried.

"A little, but mostly it has to do with…me," Thirteen nearly whispers the last word. _I don't want to tell her, but she has to know. I can't __**not**__ say anything. It wouldn't be fair to either of us._

"Oh?" Is all the other woman can articulate, having a feeling that she knows where this is going.

"Yeah. Last week, I tested myself for Huntington's," Remy begins slowly, having difficultly forcing out the words. Allison offers an encouraging smile and nods to show that she is following along. "After Amber died, I got the results back."

"And you tested positive, right?" Cameron finishes as though it were a question, although she already knows the answer.

"Yeah," Remy confirms. "I wanted you to know before anything serious-"

"I already knew," Allison cuts in, trying to reassure the other woman that she didn't mind.

"You knew?" Hadley asks incredulously. "When did you find out?" She wonders, stunned by the revelation.

"House told me a little over two weeks ago. The Monday after Amber died," Cameron answers sheepishly.

"The day you asked me out," Remy growls out angrily.

The blonde swallows nervously. "Yeah. The day I asked you out," she confirms, waiting for the inevitable explosion.

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This was in the episode with the magician and they tried to give House a blood transfusion to see if the blood was tainted. Also the same episode where we found out that Thirteen's mom died of Huntington's.

Also, someone mentioned that Cuddy was, perhaps, coming across as being jealous or "overly attentive" when it came to Thirteen and Cameron. I assure you that there is nothing to worry about with her, she is just making sure that her employees are doing okay. She seems like the kind of person who wants to make sure that the tension between them won't affect their work.

Okay, just a little bit of an FYI, this story isn't likely going to be too much longer. We're probably looking at between 12 and 15 chapters here. Knowing me, it will probably be closer to 15 seeing as how I tend to take an idea for a small scene and turn it into half of a chapter. Anyways, I just wanted to give you a bit of a heads up

One last thing, wasn't the season premiere last night awesome? I like how they seem to be portraying Thirteen this season. She seems like she's going to be a bit more ballsy and assume more of a leadership-type role…if this episode is anything to go by. Olivia Wilde was great.


	11. Are You Dying?

I'm sorry it took so long to get this up and if you read the note at the end of the chapter it will explain why. I know everyone thinks that they're not important, but this one effects how quick the updates are going to come.

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_**Where We Left Off:**_

"_You knew?" Hadley asks incredulously. "When did you find out?" She wonders, stunned by the revelation._

"_House told me a little over two weeks ago. The Monday after Amber died," Cameron answers sheepishly._

"_The day you asked me out," Remy growls out angrily._

_The blonde swallows nervously. "Yeah. The day I asked you out," she confirms, waiting for the inevitable explosion._

**Chapter Eleven- Are You Dying?**

"I can't believe you!" Remy shouts, standing up abruptly.

"If I'd known you were going to get upset, I wouldn't have told you that I knew," Allison defends herself.

"I'm glad you told me because now I know that I can't trust you," the brunette retorts bitterly.

"What?" Cameron questions in confusion.

"So, what was this all about? Like, a pity date or something, right?" Hadley plows forth in her accusations.

"No, of course not. I didn't ask you out because I felt sorry for you. I-"

"House always said you liked broken people. That's what I am, right? One more person for you to 'take care of'?" Remy continues on, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

"It's not like that at all. If I didn't know, I still would have asked you out," Cameron answers back. "I swear to you that it has nothing to do with that," she promises.

Remy simply scoffs. "Well, I guess we'll never know, will we?" She asks rhetorically. Grabbing her crutches, she throws out her half-empty coffee cup and hobbles down the hallway.

"Dammit! Why couldn't I keep my mouth shut for once?" Allison berates herself as she slowly makes her way out of the room.

"What did you say to her?" Allison turns around to find Kutner glaring accusingly at her.

"I…Just…Nothing. It's nothing," she replies, not wanting to give the other woman's secrets away to the rest of the team.

"Thirteen doesn't violently shove people out of her way over 'nothing'," he continues. "Did you two break up?"

Cameron takes a moment to ponder his question seriously. "I don't know. I hope not," she says quietly. "Where did she-"

"She went back towards the Diagnostics Office. But, unless you want to get the third degree from House, I wouldn't go in there," Kutner advises thoughtfully.

"I know," she smiles weakly him before turning and going towards the Diagnostics Office anyways.

Remy glances away from her notes on the patient for one moment to find Allison watching her through the glass. She takes a moment to glare at the other woman before redirecting her attention to her boss.

Witnessing the brunette's odd behavior, House glances over towards the window to see a despondent Cameron watching an irritable Thirteen. He smirks before waving happily at the blonde woman, easily gaining her attention.

"Dr. Cameron. So good of you to stop by. What brings you up here this fine evening?" House questions her, feigning obliviousness at her demeanor.

Allison nervously enters the room, trying to catch the brunette's eye, but failing. "Just thought I'd stop by. See how you guys were doing," she replies lamely.

"I'm sure that you only had one of us in mind," her former boss smirks, pointedly looking at Thirteen.

"Yeah…I'm just going to go," she hastily responds, deciding that it would be impossible to get Remy to listen to her when the other members of her team are present.

Hadley looks up in time to see the blonde doctor rushing down the hallway.

"So, Thirteen…" House trails off with a smirk. "Lover's quarrel?"

"I think we should biopsy the patient's kidneys. It could help us determine whether or not-"

"Did you two break up?" House interrupts her.

"It has nothing to do with this case. Let's just focus on the patient for once," she snaps at her boss.

"Fine. Whatever. You and Kutner go biopsy the kidneys," he waves them off, knowing that she isn't going to offer any information…yet.

--

"What's the story with you and Mommy Dearest?"

"Just drop it House," Cameron groans as the older man limps up to her in the ER before she can fully exit the building.

"No," House replies shortly, gaining the attention of the blonde. "An hour ago she was all happy-slappy and now she is being a royal bitch from hell. In both instances, you are the common denominator. So, spill," he orders.

Cameron considers him for a moment. "Remy told me that she has Huntington's earlier in the break room," she informs him.

"So what? You already knew that," he shrugs off, not seeing what the big deal is.

"I told her that I had already known…and that I found out on the same day that I asked her out," she confesses. House responds first by whacking her left shin with his cane. "What the hell?!" She cries out as she lifts her offended foot off the ground and rubbing it dramatically.

"Why didn't you lie or, at least, not say anything at all?" House questions her harshly. "You should've known that that was only going to piss her off. Even _**I **_know that," he finishes.

"And yet you bring it up all the time," Cameron scoffs.

"Yeah…But I like pissing her off. Unlike you, I am _**not **_dating her."

Allison is quiet for a moment. "I couldn't lie to her House. I just couldn't hide this from her because, if she found out in the long run, she'd hate me even more for it."

"Or, she could have never found out to begin with. Duh," House rolls his eyes. "You better fix this. She was lame enough when she was dating you and now it's even worse," he says before turning and hobbling off.

"He has a point you know?" A voice from behind the blonde states.

Allison turns around to face the other person. "Not you too," she sighs.

"Yes, me too," Cuddy smirks in response.

Cameron takes a moment to look around suspiciously. "Where do you keep popping up from? I never see you or hear you coming, but you keep turning up?" She inquires seriously.

"I am omniscient," the dean smirks enigmatically.

"So, you think I'm making Remy lame too?" The blonde challenges her boss, folding her arms across her chest as she does so.

Cuddy furrows her brow at the question. "I didn't mean that he had a point about _**that**_," she acknowledges. "I _**do **_think that you should talk to her."

"Yeah, that'll happen," Cameron snorts out sarcastically, earning a disapproving glare from the other woman at her tone. "I'm just saying that, in case you didn't get the memo, she kind of hates me right now."

"She doesn't hate you. She's vulnerable and she feels like you were just taking pity on her. Tell her that you started developing feelings for her before you even knew about the Huntington's," the older doctor advises easily.

The blonde is shocked at the other woman. "How do you know that I…" she trails off, unsure how to even put her confusion into words.

"Let's just say that you aren't nearly as subtle as you would like to think you are. You've had your eye on Dr. Hadley since the first time you saw her walk through the front door," Lisa smiles kindly. "It took you long enough."

"Hey!" Allison bites back in response to the cheap shot the other woman took at her.

"Just talk to her. You'd be surprised how effective that can be," she reiterates her earlier advice.

"Lisa, how do you even know so much about this?" Cameron asks, wondering when the dean even finds time to become so knowledgeable in the affairs of her employees.

"I like to know what's going on in my hospital…and I'm very observant," she briefly explains before disappearing off to parts unknown…her office most likely.

--

"I'm coming!" Richard shouts from the kitchen as he jogs his way to the front door before swinging it open. "Well good morning…you look like shit," he greets his daughter, his smile quickly turning into a frown.

"Thanks Dad," Remy yawns from the doorway.

"What time did you end up getting out of work last night?"

In response, Remy glances down at her watch. "About twenty minutes ago," she informs him.

"It's 9:30 in the morning," he states incredulously.

"I know, but the patient is finally okay and I just came by to pick up Alexis."

"Are you sure? I could keep her for the day so that you can go home and get some rest. I know you have that big date with that pretty doctor tonight. It'll be no problem," he offers, quick to assure her that he doesn't mind watching his granddaughter.

Remy nervously scratches the back of her neck and avoids eye contact. "About that date…" she trails off.

"Are you kidding me?! You guys broke up after less than a week?" Richard incredulously questions her. She nods slightly in affirmation. "What happened?"

"It's none of your business," she growls out.

"I think it is my business if the one person that both you _**and **_Alex seem to really like is suddenly no longer in the picture," he argues.

"Well, she told me that she already knew that I had Huntington's when she asked me out last week."

"So?" The older man asks, not sure what she is trying to get at.

"It was like a pity date or something," she states, positive that she has given enough reason to have broken it off with the other doctor.

"Did she say that it was a pity date?" He probes.

"So you just assumed that that is what it was?"

"I suppose," she grudgingly admits.

"Well, you know what they say about when you assume: it makes an ass out of-"

"You and me," Remy rolls her eyes. "But Dad, this is-"

"When I spoke to her, she already knew that you had Huntington's and she didn't care. She displayed nothing but respect and admiration for you because of everything that you overcame to get where you are today and still have time to properly raise your daughter," he explains, easily having cut her off.

"What are you saying?" Remy hesitantly asks after taking a moment to mull over his words.

"Give her a chance. Talk to her and let her explain how she really feels. I have a feeling that you blew her off right after she told you that she already knew." Richard takes her silence as confirmation. "Dr. Cameron is the first person since Olivia's death to make you really, genuinely smile…not including Alexis of course," he adds as an afterthought. "You two really like each other and I am not going to let you let Dr. Cameron get away," he resolves firmly.

"You broke up with Dr. Cameron, Mom?" Alexis innocently questions, appearing out of nowhere.

"It's complicated Sweetheart," is all the other woman offers.

"But why? Dr. Cameron is really nice and I know you like her, so what's the problem?" The little girl continues to prod.

Hadley casts a sidelong glance at her father and notices that he is smirking at her. "Dr. Cameron and I got into an argument and I don't think I can trust her," she explains, carefully choosing her words.

"Why not?"

Remy sighs and shoots her father a pleading expression. "Dad?"

"Don't look at me. You're the one always telling her to ask questions," he shrugs.

"She knew something that affected the whole reason she asked me out and she didn't tell me about it," the older woman attempts to explain without giving too much away.

"If she didn't tell you about it, then it isn't technically lying. Did she explain why she didn't tell you before?" The little girl continues to pry.

"I didn't want to hear her excuses," Remy snorts back.

Alexis looks at her mother thoughtfully for several moments. "Grandpa told me a story about when you and Mom were still in school. She saw you with a guy and thought that you were sneaking around behind her back. She didn't talk to you for a week to let you explain that you were tutoring him and he didn't want anyone to find out."

"You told her about that?" Hadley questions her father, who simply nods. "What are you trying to say?" She cautiously asks her daughter.

"That maybe this is a misunderstanding and that you should give Dr. Cameron a chance to tell her side of the story without getting mad," she wisely replies.

Her mother just smiles warmly at her. "Sometimes I think you're too smart for your own good. Let's get going," she urges as they make their way to the door.

"Good luck with your talk with Allison," Richard knowingly says before they're out the door.

"Thanks Dad," Remy smirks.

Once buckled into the car and on the road, Alexis turns to her mother with a serious expression. "Mom?" She begins in an effort to gain the other woman's attention.

"Yes Sweetie?"

"Are you sick?"

"Of course not Lexi. I stopped feeling sick earlier this last week, remember?" Remy responds in confusion.

"No. I mean, are you _**sick**_?" The younger girl emphasizes. On seeing the confused expression on her mother's face, she sighs and decides to try again. "I heard you and Grandpa talking. Did you and Dr. Cameron break up because she knew you were sick?"

The color drains out of Remy's face as she turns her head sharply to the side to look at her daughter. "I, um…Well…" she tumbles over her words as she nervously turns her attention back to the road.

"Mom…are you dying?" The little girl hesitantly asks, her words lined with fear. With those three little words, Remy's blood runs cold.

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I know it's short and it probably sucks really hard, but I felt like I needed to get something out.

Like, literally, the day after I posted the last chapter I got into a pretty gnarly accident. I am actually _**still **_in the hospital and I will be for another couple of months…like I said, it was _**really**_ bad. So, I had to beg my cousin to bring me my beloved laptop and I can't go online to update my fics. The nurse I usually see is an evil merchant of death…she seriously stabbed me in the arm 8 times to reinsert my IV earlier, but I digress. Anyways, I had to bribe my cousin to take my flash drive and upload the new chapters (hopefully she isn't dragging ass or I'll be pissed).

Also, I always liked the idea that Cuddy is the "omniscient" hospital administrator. She always came across to me as knowing more than she let on.


	12. This Moment

_**Where We Left Off:**_

_"Mom…are you dying?" The little girl hesitantly asks, her words lined with fear. With those three little words, Remy's blood runs cold._

**Chapter Twelve- This Moment**

Hadley is faced with a serious quandary. _Do I lie to her and be a total hypocrite or do I tell her the truth and upset her, but keep her respect?_ She closes her eyes briefly and grips the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles turn white.

"Lexi, Sweetheart, it's…complicated," Remy cringes at the cop-out of an answer. "We have a long time before we will even be able to notice that I am sick. You have nothing to worry about for a while, okay?" She tries to respond as vaguely as possible.

Alexis nods slowly to show that she understands. She glances out the window before turning her attention back to the only mother she remembers. "So, you _**are**_ dying, just not right now?" She asks for clarification.

"Not for a while," Remy tries to soften the blow. "But we'll be okay," she is quick to add.

The younger brunette seems to ponder this for a moment. "How long?" She wonders.

Remy knows exactly what the little girl is asking, but it doesn't make the answer any easier. "Ten years, maybe more," is the quiet response.

"Maybe less?" Alexis questions, filling in what her mother left unsaid.

"Yeah, maybe less," Hadley agrees, albeit reluctantly. "But the important thing is that I'm here now and I don't plan on going anywhere," she tries to keep her voice from wavering in an effort to appear strong for her daughter as she parks her car in the parking lot to their apartment building.

"But you didn't plan on getting sick either," Alexis bitterly snaps back as she opens the door, gets out of the car, and slams the door shut as she makes her way to the apartment.

Remy sighs as she grabs her and her daughter's bags as well as her crutches. She gets out and attempts to catch up with the girl. Once she makes it up to their apartment, she sees her daughter standing by the door looking sullen. As she tries to juggle everything in her arms in an effort to get out her keys, Alexis reaches over and takes her bag out of her mother's arms to make it easier for the older brunette.

Hadley offers her a grateful smile, earning a hesitant smile from the little girl. She pulls out her keys and manages to unlock the door and let them in. Once inside, Alex rushes off to her bedroom to put up her backpack.

Remy sets her stuff down on the table in the kitchen. A moment later, she feels a short pair of arms wrap around her waist. She looks down and sees her daughter hugging her at her side. With a gentle smile, she runs her fingers through the little girl's soft brown hair.

"I'm sorry for getting mad at you," Alex apologizes.

"It's okay. I understand," Remy assures her, earning a confused expression from the seven year old. "My mom had the same thing that I do. Only I didn't know until she was already in the hospital and she was, well…I didn't want you to be caught off guard like I was," she explains, not wanting to get too graphic in her description of her own mother's death.

"How old were you when _**your**_ mom died?"

Remy takes a deep breath and closes her eyes for a moment before answering. "I was ten. She was thirty years old," she answers cautiously.

"If she died at thirty, does that mean you will too?" Alexis quickly asks.

Hadley pauses for a moment. She decides that Alex is too young to know the true circumstances of her own mother's death. Remy's mom didn't die from a complication due to Huntington's, but she killed herself in the hospital shortly after her diagnosis.

"Not necessarily Lexi. The average age someone with what I have dies is much closer to forty," she honestly informs the younger girl.

Alex is quiet for a minute as she takes all of this information in. "You were mad at Dr. Cameron because she knew you were sick before she asked you out?" She questions, trying to get the facts.

Remy is momentarily caught off guard at the shift in conversation. "Yeah. I didn't want her to ask me out because she felt bad about it," she replies, oversimplifying her excuse.

"But, wouldn't that give her more of a reason to _**not**_ ask you out? She must really care about you if she doesn't mind that you're dying and wants to spend time with you anyway," Alex points out.

"Maybe," Hadley acknowledges, the argument, however flawed, is still a decent one. Before she can delve further into conversation with her daughter, there is a knock on the door. "Hold on one second, okay Sweetie?" She asks before going to answer the door.

"Okay," Alex replies.

Remy opens the door to reveal Ann and her sons. "Hey," she greets the trio with a smile.

"Hey, the boys and I were just heading down to the park and we wanted to see if Lexi wanted to join us," Ann offers with a smile of her own.

"Sure, let me ask her," Remy says before turning around to ask her daughter. "Did you want to go to the park with-"

"Yeah," the little girl replies enthusiastically with a grin, having heard the whole thing.

"Okay. Go get your shoes on," Remy instructs. The small brunette disappears. "Thank you," she quietly says to her slightly older neighbor.

"You know it's fine. Besides, you look like you could use the rest," Ann responds pointedly referring to the worn-out look of the young doctor.

"Yeah, yeah," Hadley smirks back just as her daughter comes back into the room. "Okay Al, be careful and have fun," she wishes the little girl off.

Alex gives her mom a big hug before going out the door. "I love you," she quietly informs her.

"I love you too Lex," Remy returns with a hug of her own. "Now you get going," she wishes her daughter off as they break away from one another.

"Okay."

"You boys be careful too. Brian, you especially be careful with that arm. I don't want you pulling out any of those stitches," she tells the boys in a warning tone.

"Yes, Dr. Hadley," Brian returns shyly.

"We'll be careful," Ben assures her with a small smile before they finally leave.

Remy breathes out a small sigh of relief before limping over to the couch, lying down and drifting off to sleep a few moments later.

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A soft knocking wakes Remy from her slumber on the couch. She groggily rolls off of the couch and makes her way to the door. Without even looking through the peephole, she swings the door open only to find the pretty face and blonde hair of Allison Cameron staring back at her.

"What are you doing here?" Remy wonders in her surprise, sounding ruder than she intended.

Cameron looks stricken for a moment before she casts her eyes downward. "Sorry. I shouldn't have come," she says, mostly to herself before turning to go.

Impulsively, Hadley reaches out and wraps a hand around one of Cameron's arms to stop her. "Stay," she requests earnestly. The blonde gives her a skeptical look. "I shouldn't have been such a bitch to you yesterday."

"You had every right to be upset. I lied to you about something pretty important and-"

"You didn't lie to me," Remy cuts her off, earning a confused expression from the other woman. "It's not like it was something that could just be causally added to a conversation. I mean, you knew about it when you asked me out, you have to understand how that would look if you were in my place," she adds.

"I do understand. That's kind of the reason why I was afraid to tell you that I knew about your Huntington's. I knew exactly how it would look," Cameron informs the younger woman.

"You didn't ask me out because of that, did you?" Hadley asks the one question that she has been dreading the answer to since yesterday.

Allison ponders her response for a moment. "Yes and no," she finally replies.

"I don't…" Remy trails off, confusion written on her face.

The blonde decides to heed Cuddy's advice. "From the moment you set foot in the hospital, I couldn't take my eyes off of you. I couldn't explain it, but I just wanted to know you. But, because of House's game, I was afraid to get too attached in case you left. Then, after you did make it on the team, House pretty much made it known that you were bisexual to the whole hospital. It kind of caused me to reevaluate what I felt towards you and I was afraid of what I was feeling. Then, House came to me and told me that you just found out that you were diagnosed with Huntington's and I decided that I didn't want to waste anymore time being afraid. I didn't want to not take the chance and spend the rest of my life regretting it," she explains herself.

Thirteen takes a moment to process the other woman's words. "Okay," she simply replies.

"'Okay'?" Allison questions, thrown off by the simplicity of the response.

"Yeah, 'okay'. I'm glad that you decided to take the chance of being with me, even though you already have a good idea as to how this whole thing is going to end. I am also glad that you told me the truth about everything in the first place. If we're going to make this thing between us work out, we're going to have to be honest with each other," Remy explains her minimal reply.

Cameron begins to nod absently in agreement before she freezes and stares at the other woman in pleasant shock for a moment. "So, does this mean that you are still interested?" She asks hopefully.

"If you're willing to take the chance, then so am I," Hadley grins and Cameron easily matches her expression.

Allison replies by taking a step closer to the brunette and placing a hand on her hip before moving in and meeting Remy's lips. Their all too brief kiss is interrupted by the apartment door swinging open and Alexis walking into the apartment.

"Hey Mom, you'll never guess what…" the little girl pauses as she notices the other doctor. "Hello Dr. Cameron," she greets the blonde woman with a bright smile.

"Hello Alex," is the older doctor's warm greeting.

The seven year old looks between her mother and the pretty doctor for a moment. "Does this mean you guys are back together?" She inquires hopefully.

Thirteen chuckles and casts a sidelong glance to the blonde doctor. "Yes, Sweetheart," she informs the girl.

"Good. Let me show you my room," the little girl says to Cameron as she takes her hand and goes to show her all of her toys and stuffed animals and things.

Cameron smiles fondly at the little girl as she allows herself to be tugged away. "You don't have to call me 'Dr. Cameron', Alex. You can call me 'Allison' or 'Ally' instead," she tells her.

"Okay," Alex nods, brightening up even more, if that is at all possible.

Thirteen watches the entire interaction with a tender expression on her face as the two make their way to her daughter's room. She ponders all of the events that occurred in the last couple of weeks and is astonished at how much has happened. She started off feeling lonely and depressed about her disease and her uncertain future. She was closed off from everyone around her. Now, she no longer feels so alone and, for the first time in a while, the future doesn't look so bleak anymore now that she has let the other doctor in her life.

Looking into her daughter's room and seeing Allison laughing and tickling her daughter, Remy can't help the smile that comes over her face. _I don't know if it will last, but for now, I will just enjoy the perfection of this moment and my life as it is_.

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So, I decided that this is going to be the last actual chapter. It seemed like a good place to end it. There is immediate happy ending as well as the uncertainty of the future. Such is life. I think I am going to do an epilogue if for no other reason than to make the chapter count on this 13. I am not entirely sure what to put in there, so just let me know if there are any plot holes I need to fix or anything of the sort and I will gladly try to patch them up in the end.

Also, I am currently working on 5 other _House _fics. Check out my profile for more information on them. It will probably be a while before I post any of them. Two of them I just began and will probably be kind of long. Two I am not sure how long they will be. One is almost finished.

As always, let me know what you think. Loved it, hated it, whatever. Again, if I left anything out or left any major plot holes, let me know. My cousin will tell me what you guys say so I will still get the message. I know I never mentioned Alexis' father, so I will clear that up in the last part. Anything else, just tell me.


	13. Three Months Later

**A/N**: It was brought to my attention that I may have messed up Alex's age in some chapters. Originally she was going to be six, but I decided on seven instead.

**A/N2**: This chapter practically wrote itself. This is the first time I've updated this story without updating _Taking the Long Way _as well. That should hopefully be up by the end of next week...unless the stupid holidays get in the way. Make sure to read the note at the end, it'll help explain why I seem to have left out as much as I did in the epilogue. See you at the end...

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**Chapter Thirteen – Three Months Later**

Allison looks down at her sleeping lover with a fond smile as she tucks a stray lock of brown hair off of Remy's face. She lets the tips of her fingers linger, trailing them down her jaw and to the other woman's soft, pink lips. The blonde isn't sure how long she lays there on her side while mapping the contours of the younger woman's face as she lets her mind wander.

The couple, plus Alex and Richard, drove up to Connecticut to spend time with Alex's other grandparents for Thanksgiving on Wednesday. While the adults returned Friday afternoon, Alex was left to spend the rest of the weekend with Angela and Austin Harrison.

Cameron was a nervous wreck the whole drive up there. It was like she was meeting her girlfriend's parents, but not really. She felt like the Harrisons were going to look at her like she was the woman Remy was replacing Olivia with. Remy and Robert tried their best to convince her otherwise, but to no avail. However, after spending five minutes with Olivia's parents, she got over it.

The blonde doctor smiles as she thinks about their Thanksgiving. Her smile broadens as she thinks that this has been the first real weekend she and Remy had been able to spend alone together. She loves Alex, but it was just nice to be able to grope and make out with her girlfriend whenever and wherever she felt like it without worrying about where the little girl was.

Looking down at the other woman, she is startled to find the brunette's eyes slightly open and a small smile tugging at her lips. "Hi," Allison whispers, afraid to disturb the quiet peacefulness blanketing them.

"Hi, yourself," Remy smirks groggily.

"I didn't wake you up did I?" The older woman questions, trying to remember if she was doing anything to disturb the other woman's sleep.

"Yes," Thirteen gravely responds. "You're thoughts were just so loud that I could hear them in my sleep," she explains, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Allison rolls her eyes and chuckles. "How inconsiderate of me," she offers as an apology.

"What's on your mind? Nothing too serious I hope," Hadley wonders with concern having noticed the pensive expression on her girlfriend's face when she awoke.

"Nothing too serious," Cameron confirms. "Just thinking about how I had you all to myself for these last couple of days," she informs her with a lascivious grin.

"You still have me all to yourself for the next six hours until Alex gets home. Whatever will you do with me until then?" Is the decidedly naughty response.

Allison rolls over so that she is straddling Remy, her hands resting on either side of the brunette's head to hold herself up. "I was thinking…" she begins, pausing to lean down and kiss a trail up the other woman's neck. "…that we could play…" she pauses again and hovers her mouth over the younger woman's lips. "…_Monopoly_," she grins, pulling back slightly to watch Hadley's reactions.

Remy's eyes, which had fluttered closed moments ago, snap open as she stares incredulously at the blonde. "_Monopoly_?" She mumbles, earning a nod from the other doctor. It takes only a moment before she catches on to what the other woman is doing. Flipping them over so that she is now on top, Thirteen grins as she begins to tickle the older woman's sides. "I was thinking we could play _Scrabble _instead," she jokingly retorts as she watches her girlfriend struggle beneath her, tears of laughter streaming down her face.

"Okay! Okay! I give up!" Cameron gasps through her laughter. Remy promptly stops her torment and offers the blonde a smug smile. "You win," she states after getting her breathing under control.

"I know," Thirteen replies earnestly, her tone conveying that she is talking about much more than just the game. Allison smiles up at her before placing a hand at the back of her neck and bringing the brunette's head down for a searing kiss.

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A couple hours later finds both women in the kitchen, Remy leaning against the counter with a cup of decaf coffee in her hands and Allison sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper with her regular coffee in front of her. The brunette is idly studying the other woman.

Allison has her reading glasses on as she peruses the newspaper. She is wearing one of Remy's old AC/DC t-shirts and her favorite _South Park_ boxers. Her blonde hair is up in a messy bun with a few stray locks dropping down and framing her face. Remy thinks the other woman looks stunning.

Hadley places her coffee mug on the counter and makes her way over to her girlfriend. She rests her hands gently on the blonde's shoulders and places a kiss on the top of her head as she begins to massage her neck and shoulders. Allison closes her eyes and lets herself lean back and relax against the younger woman.

"That feels good," Cameron moans quietly, simply enjoying the other woman's attention without questioning it.

"I've been thinking…" Remy states in a reflective tone.

"That's never a good sign," the blonde lightly jokes. When nothing else is forthcoming, she lets her head bend back against the brunette's stomach so that she can look up at her. "What have you been thinking about?" She questions, suddenly curious as she notices the slightly amused smile on her girlfriend's face.

"How much I love being with you," is the honest reply.

Allison's face instantly brightens at the other woman's words. "I love spending time with you too," she states with a grin.

"I also think that how, as much time we spend together, it never quite feels like enough," Remy continues, stopping her ministrations but leaving her hands on the other woman's shoulders.

"No, it doesn't," Cameron agrees, confusion beginning to cloud her features, wondering what the younger woman is getting at.

"Since we agree that we don't see each other as much as we would like, there is a logical solution to this problem," Thirteen states slowly, never breaking eye contact.

"Oh yeah?" Allison questions, having a feeling as to where this is going.

"Well, since this apartment is pretty big and you spend a lot of time here anyways, I was just wondering how you would feel about moving in here with Alex and me?" She asks nervously, hoping that the other woman doesn't think she is trying to move their relationship along too fast.

"You want me to move in?" Allison repeats, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Officially, yes. You have a lot of clothes over here and a spare key to the apartment anyways. You practically live here already," Hadley elaborates with a slight shrug.

Allison is now full-on grinning. "I'd love to move in with you and Alex," she happily responds, her face falling slightly as soon as she finishes speaking them.

"What's wrong?" Remy asks, concern that the blonde was second-guessing her decision already.

"What will Alex think of me moving in? What if she doesn't want me to live here? What if she isn't ready for-"

"I asked her last week if it was okay," Thirteen interrupts her insecure line of questioning. "She was excited about the prospect of you being here full-time," she adds.

"You already spoke to her about it?" Cameron questions, touched that her girlfriend put that much thought into the offer.

"Yes. After she gave it the okay, I told her that I was going to ask you while she was at her grandparent's. It was my intention to ask all weekend, but I just wanted to wait for the perfect moment," she explains with a smile.

Cameron appears confused for a moment. "Why did you think that now was the perfect moment?" She wonders, unsure of what made this morning so special.

"You being here feels like the most natural thing in the world. Watching you reading the paper wearing my clothes is how I'd like to spend every morning for the rest of my life," she states honestly.

All Allison can do is smile and draw the brunette's hands down to wrap around her waist and let the younger doctor's chin rest on the top of her head. "Sounds great to me too," she responds moments later, feeling absolutely giddy.

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"You know…Alex is going…to be home soon, right?" Remy breathes out between kisses as she and Allison are making out on the couch.

"Uh huh," the blonde affirms as she nibbles on her girlfriend's lower lip, one hand still under the other woman's shirt and the other being used to hold her body up.

"Just checking," Thirteen chuckles. Her amusement soon turns into a moan as Cameron's lips migrate down to sucking on her neck.

Their heated actions come to an abrupt halt as there is a knock on the door. "I feel like I am back in high school again," Allison whispers quietly as she climbs off of the other woman.

Remy smiles as she stands up on shaky legs. "Coming!" She calls out to whoever is at the door.

"Not yet," is the mumbled response from the couch.

"Dirty mind," Thirteen shoots back at the blonde with a sly grin. She unlocks the door and pulls it open. Standing next to her daughter is a couple in their late forties. "Hey guys," she greets them warmly.

"Did we interrupt anything?" Austin Harrison questions with an arched eyebrow as he takes in the other woman's disheveled appearance.

"No," Remy draws out unconvincingly, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Hello Allison," Angela addresses the other occupant in the apartment, pointedly acknowledging that she knows the brunette well enough to know when she is lying.

"Hi Mrs. Harrison," Cameron replies, slightly embarrassed at having been caught.

"It's about time," Angela says to Thirteen in a conspiratorial tone.

Hadley, for her part, blushes profusely at the statement. However, before she can respond, Alex steps closer to her mother and looks up, her brow scrunched in confusion. "Mom, what's that on your neck?" She questions.

Confused, Thirteen reaches up and touches where her daughter indicated. Having an inkling as to what the seven year old is talking about, she shoots her girlfriend a shocked and accusing glare.

"What?" The blonde asks in feigned innocence, trying not to stare at the hickey on the brunette's neck.

"Ally!" Remy admonishes, earning a short round of muffled laughter from Alex's grandparents.

Alex and her seven year old attention span have already moved on by now though. "Hey Mom, did you ask her yet?" She wonders with barely concealed excitement.

"Yes," Hadley smiles brightly as she remembers the conversation in the kitchen that morning.

Cameron, on the other hand, is still trying to get used to the speed at which the little girl can change topics. However, she is saved the embarrassment of asking what they are talking about when Austin beats her to the punch.

"Ask who what, Sweetheart?" He wonders in confusion.

"If Ally wanted to move in," Alexis briefly explains before turning her attention back to her mother. "And?" She prompts her mother impatiently.

"I said yes," the doctor in question replies, having finally caught up in the conversation.

Alex allows a broad grin to spread across her face. "Great! That means you didn't screw up when you asked her, right Mom?" The little girl directs towards the brunette doctor, almost accusingly.

"Hey!" Remy squeals, almost hurt that her daughter would think that she couldn't handle it.

"No, she didn't screw up at all," Allison smirks in defense of her girlfriend. Remy playfully sticks her tongue out at her daughter, who returns the gesture.

"Now, now, children. Do we have to break you two up?" Angela teases the brunette and her daughter.

Thirteen at least has the grace to blush at having been caught acting like a kid; Alexis just giggles and turns her attention back to Cameron. "When are you moving in?" She asks with a smile.

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**Friday**

Thirteen hits the button for the elevator. A faint smile makes its way to her face as she thinks about a certain blonde ER doctor who is almost completely moved into her apartment. As soon as she gets out of the hospital she is going to Allison's apartment and bring the last of her stuff over.

She steps into the elevator and presses the button for the first floor. Before the door closes, a black cane with a flame sticker on the base of it prevents it from doing so. The brunette rolls her eyes as House enters the elevator with her, but her smile remains intact.

"What are you so happy about?" House wonders suspiciously. "Other than the fact that you are actually getting some action?" He adds on to his previous question with a leer.

"Do I suddenly need a reason to be happy?" Remy replies with a smirk and an arched eyebrow. Not even her cranky boss can bring down her mood as the doors close and they start moving down.

"You're never happy when I'm around," the older man pointedly replies.

"How do you know?" The brunette retorts cheekily.

"I make sure of it," House answers with a mischievous grin. "It's much more fun for me to have you be irritated," he reveals.

"Sorry to ruin your fun," Thirteen apologizes mockingly with a shrug and a good-natured smile as they get off the elevator.

House narrows his eyes at her demeanor. Before he gets the chance to comment, though, her cell phone starts to ring. The brunette glances down at the screen and smiles softly to herself, the man beside her all but forgotten as she hits the talk button.

"Hey," Remy greets the caller.

"_Hey yourself,"_ Cameron responds with a grin.

"Is something wrong?" Hadley questions, wondering why the other woman is calling her as she is, literally, on her way out the door.

"_No. I just wanted to tell you that you don't need to worry about stopping by my old apartment,"_ Allison informs her easily.

"Why not? I thought you still had-"

"_No, I picked it up and brought it over when I got off an hour ago," _the blonde cuts her girlfriend off, her excitement evident in her tone.

"You could have waited," Thirteen frowns slightly. "I wouldn't have minded helping you get it," she assures the other woman. House listens carefully to Hadley's side of the conversation as he tries to ascertain what they are talking about.

"_I know, but I was too pumped up to wait. Now all you have to do when you get home is help me unpack," _Allison say. _"'Home'," _she repeats thoughtfully. _"I like the sound of that,"_ she finishes happily.

Remy can't help but grin in response. "Me too," she agrees. "I guess I'll pick Lexi up from my dad's house on the way _**home**_," she decides, emphasizing the last part.

"_Sounds good,"_ Cameron determines. _"I love you,"_ she says, pausing for a moment after stating something that felt so natural to say.

Remy is caught slightly off guard by the declaration before smiling into the phone. "I love you too," she reveals. "I'll see you in about half an hour," she finishes.

"_I can't wait," _Allison giggles into the phone before hanging up.

Hadley smiles reflectively, staring at her phone for a moment after hanging up. She is brought out of her reverie by the gagging sounds her boss is making from his position next to her. In response, Thirteen merely arches an eyebrow in question.

"Is there a problem?" She asks him, her expression stern…completely the opposite of what it was only a minute ago.

"You and Cameron are way too…" House trails off, not sure what word could fit the saccharine-sweetness of the part of the conversation he heard coupled with the oblivious lovey-dovey look on the younger woman's face. "You two are way too…cute," he settles on, the disgust evident in his tone.

Remy can't help but smirk at her boss. "You'll get over it," she offers, not feeling the least bit sympathetic to the older man's plight.

House merely scoffs at the suggestion before an impish expression comes over his face. "Sounds like the girlfriend is moving in," he points out.

"Maybe," Remy replies, not wanting to give him any more fuel for the night.

"I'm sure you, Cameron, and Thirteen, Jr. will make for a nice Christmas card to send home to the family," he replies sarcastically, not noticing Cuddy walking by behind him as he says this.

Cuddy backtracks and gives Thirteen a questioning look, she merely smirks back at the other woman. "House. Leave Dr. Hadley and Dr. Cameron alone," she orders firmly.

"But what about-"

"Alexis too," she interrupts him.

"You're not the boss of me," House grumbles under his breath.

After a moment of incredulous silence: "Yes I am," she corrects, earning an eye roll from the cranky doctor.

House merely waves her off before limping away mumbling about being ganged up on by two women…and not in a good way.

"How did you know about Alex?" Thirteen questions the older woman once House is out of earshot.

"Did you think that I would let House hire people without looking into backgrounds first?" Cuddy asks rhetorically.

"Good point," Remy acknowledges suspiciously as she notices the faint blush creeping up the dean's neck.

"And maybe House also let it slip to most of the hospital last month," she tentatively explains.

"I figured as much," is the simple, amused response.

Cuddy takes in the other woman's demeanor. "You're not nearly as upset as you probably should be," she notes warily.

"Maybe I just had a good day," Remy shrugs good-naturedly. "See you next week Dr. Cuddy," she says before turning and leaving.

"You too Thirteen," the dean replies, mostly to herself, as she inadvertently refers to the younger woman by her nickname. _Just because I know what is going on in my hospital doesn't mean I know what's going on in my employees' heads._ She muses to herself before shaking the thoughts out of her head and making her way back to her office.

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"Honey, we're home!" Remy calls out with a smile as she and Alex walk through the door to the apartment.

"Very funny," Allison responds as she appears out of the hallway, holding a couple of her shirts on hangers.

"Need any help?" Thirteen offers as Alex runs to drop her book bag in her room.

"Yeah, I'm almost done anyways," the blonde replies before she finds herself with a seven year old practically attached to her side.

"When we're done can we order pizza?" The little girl questions, using her most adorable expression as she does so.

"I don't see why not," Cameron replies before seeing the arched eyebrow and 'Mom'-look on her girlfriend's face. "As long as it's okay with your mom," she adds quickly.

"Can we Mom? Please?" Alex practically begs, a full-on pout adorning her features.

"Yeah, can we Mom?" Allison asks with a similar expression.

Remy can feel her stern façade crumble at being double-teamed by the two…for the third time this month. She rolls her eyes at how easily swayed she is by the pair. "Nothing too greasy this time," she acquiesces.

"Yay!" Alex squeals as she runs to get the phone and menus of different places.

"You are such a bad influence," Remy sighs melodramatically before turning to her girlfriend. "I am so going to kill you for teaching her that 'puppy dog' look," the brunette teasingly threatens the ER doctor.

"No you won't," Cameron contradicts her with a smile.

"No, I won't. Besides, between the two of you, I don't really stand a chance, do I?"

The blonde chuckles. "Not really, but you like it," she retorts playfully.

"_**Maybe**_," Thirteen draws out slowly as she leans in for a kiss. Cameron closes her eyes in expectation, but is instead met with a pair of hands tickling at her sides in retribution.

Allison erupts into a fit of laughter before trying in vain to get out of the taller woman's grasp. "Stop it!" She cries out through tears of laughter as they tumble over the back of the couch in their struggle.

"Mom, I found this…" Alex begins as she enters the room, only to trail off as she sees the scene unfold before her. Noticing that her mom has the advantage, she drops the phone and menus before deciding to come to the aid of her new, blonde partner-in-crime.

It doesn't take long before the three of them are nothing more than a big laughing pile of limbs on the floor of the living room. As they all lay exhausted on the floor, Allison has one thought rolling around in her head.

"Maybe 'thirteen' is a lucky number after all." Remy and Alex can't agree more.

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First off, I would just like to thank everyone who has read this story and all of those of you that read and reviewed. Over 21,000 hits! That's amazing and I'm glad you guys stuck with the story for so long.

Also, I know that I said that I would tell you guys about Alex's dad. I didn't forget. But, good news for you: I am writing a sequel to this story, so you'll still find out. I wanted _**Taking A Chance**_ to end on a happy note. The sequel won't be quite as fluffy and I didn't want this to end on a downer.

I have just barely gotten started with the sequel, but just know that it is going to take place about a year after the end of this one. It will include some elements of season five (yes, I will use "Last Resort" because I love the episode and OW in it). And, like I said, it will be darker, but will focus a lot on Cameron and Hadley's relationship. There may be another appearance of Thirteen's neighbors, Alex and Richard will definitely be coming back, and I am planning on Alex's other grandparents returning as well.

Anyways, until then, tell me what you think and whatnot...and I know, there seemed to be a lot of tickling in this chapter. Kind of odd I think.


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